Remains of the Old Life
by Sarah August
Summary: Elena decides to help Elijah in 3x14 but there are life changing consequences. What if she became a vampire for the rest of S3? Elijah/Elena, Elena/Salvatores
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Remains of the Old Life

**Summary: **Elena decides to warn Elijah that his mother plans to kill their entire family, but there is consequences to her decision to save them all. Esther turns on Elena, and makes the ultimate choice for her which ties her to someone she never imagined to forever. How will it change her relationships with Stefan and Damon? And how will it change the rest of the story for season 3 if Elena was already a vampire?

**Author: **Sarah August

"So how was my mother?" Said the familiar voice in her ear and Elena winced noticeably. She felt eyes upon her, studying her every move through the crowd.

Elena sighed softly and found her courage, although she couldn't begin to explain how she did so. Elijah was so openly trusting of her and she was preparing to shatter that fragile trust with a smile to her face if it meant getting rid of Klaus. "Intense," She muttered softly, gratefully taking the champagne he now offered her as a waiter passed them. Her hand shook slightly, hatefully remembering what Esther said about what was in the champagne. Her blood. Blood she had forcefully taken from her.

Elijah smirked slightly which brought an uneasy smile to her lips. He had taken a glass too and her eyes darted to the drink, and her heart began to race. "And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" asked Elijah and she then felt her entire body noticeably shake.

She hated this, she didn't want him to die. It physically made her feel sick knowing that Esther had made her apart of this. Elena wanted to scream at him to stop, to drop the glass. But Esther was there watching, and if she could so easily force her blood from her, surely she wouldn't stop there if Elena warned Elijah. Would she hurt Stefan? Damon next?

Before Elena knew it, the conversation was over and Klaus had taken his drink, and Elijah was the last original who hadn't drank yet with the toast. Her heart was racing more than ever and Elijah stopped and looked at her. "What is it, Elena? Why are you so upset?"

"I lied to you..." She admitted abruptly, hating the disappointed look upon his face, but happy all the same that he wasn't taking a drink. "Don't drink the champagne..."

Elijah lifted up his glass as if to look at it and Elena knocked it clear from his hand, and it shattered to the floor, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Elena blushed fiercely but she was pleased with herself all the same. She had done the right thing.

Elijah said something else and Elena suddenly couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything and the room started spinning. Elena turned slightly and locked gazes with Esther as if she was no longer in control of her own body. Elijah seemed to realize that his mother was doing something to Elena and tried to forcefully turn her away from his mothers gaze but Elena couldn't move. Soon she couldn't breath and she felt blood coming from out of her nose. It was then that Elena realized that she was slowly dying while frozen in place. Elena believed that the last thing she heard was Damon shouting her name before she began to fall backwards into Elijah's arms. Elijah then quickly gathered her up and carried her away from the onlookers. The last thing Elena saw before passing out was Elijah's concerned face.


	2. Chapter 2

"_You know there is only one way to save her... or you can let her die..." _

"_No," Elijah protested, hating himself for even considering it. He would not bring her back like this. Like them! Tatia was pure of heart, she didn't deserve the same fate as Niklaus and himself. _

_Her child would be alone, but he'd ensure it would be provided for. He would ensure that the one thing that Tatia had loved above all would have a good life. _

"_Then let her die," said his mother, almost evilly. She had always hated the hold that Tatia had over two of her sons. Now she was happy that she was almost gone, condemning himself and Niklaus to a living death for loving the same girl. _

_Elijah then allowed the tears he'd been holding back to fall as his guilt consumed him. He dared to grieve for her, to miss her already, when her sweet blood still stained his mouth mixed with the dark ale his mother had given all of them. _

Elijah blinked away the last memory he had before Tatia had finally died. She had died because of her association with his family. With him. Because he had dared to care about her, letting her in. Elena was about to meet the same fate and for the same reasons.

Could he just stand by this time and do nothing? Could he really let her go? He heard the people from the party getting closer to the place he had taken Elena too, resting her in a corridor a mere hallway away on a bench by some french doors that lead to the outside. He would have liked to taken her farther away, but there was no time. Her life was slipping and he could smell the blood. Her blood stained his clothes and her dress.

Her heart beat was failing, barely there, and a wave of unimaginable grief gripped him in the chest. He couldn't let her go. Decided, he did the only thing he could to save Elena despite the risk involved.

His eyes changed as his vampire teeth extended, biting his own wrist and holding the dripping blood over her mouth, forcing her lips open with his other hand. Soon, she was taking his blood without force, smiling slightly at she did so. When she had enough, Elijah took his wrist away, bracing her head with his hand as he let it fall to a near by pillow. Elena opened her eyes only briefly, focusing before passing out again.

Elijah could only hope it had been enough and that Elena was not going to die tonight. He would not lose her like he'd lost Tatia. Elijah was about to move her to a bedroom upstairs when he spotted he was no longer alone with Elena in the corridor.

He decided to ease Elena down again to the bench at the approach of Niklaus. "What are you playing at, brother? You whisk the damsel away, leaving two Salvatore brothers on the hunt inside the ballroom. I'm getting sick of their insensate questions..." Klaus then stopped, eyeing Elena, then stared back at Elijah with accusation. "What have you done, Elijah?"

"Mother cast a spell on Elena for warning me that she planned to kill us all tonight. I think she used the spell that she used on Tatia."

Klaus stared at Elijah in horror at his admittance. Not out of concern so much for Elena, but at the memory that Elijah had just evoked for him. Tatia, _their shared great love_, lay dying on a bed of blood. The blood seemingly coming out of everywhere it could from her small frame. Their mother had used that blood, turning them into what they were now today.

Klaus then bitterly blinked away the dark memories, feeling hate for what their mother had done yet again. This time not to Tatia, but to Elena, his means to the creation of his hybrids, certainly. But it just struck Klaus the other importance Elena had that he had happily overlooked to suit his own needs.

She was the last living connection to Tatia, but she was also a young woman that had come to be very important to his older brother. Klaus felt old guilt at seeing the obvious devastation within Elijah's eyes.

It was now painfully obvious. Elijah had gone so far to save Elena by giving him his blood, hoping to heal her, and that was something that Elijah never did lightly. Decide to use his vampire blood to save someone. As there was always that chance that it would fail to heal and create a new vampire instead.

Klaus walked over to Elena on the bench, using his supernatural senses to hear a heartbeat. It was still slipping. "Elijah, you need to take her elsewhere. She is still fading and I believe all the fuss over Elena has finally got the attention of the lady Sheriff. Go."

Elijah looked gratefully to his brother, in disbelief that he would help him in this. Refusing to question him as there was no time, he again gathered Elena into his arms and hurried from sight to a back staircase.

There was still time to try something else. Something that might work. It would do him no good to get arrested or accused of something he had no direct hand in, or worse, to run into a Salvatore brother before he had time to save her. "Hold on, Elena," He whispered softly. His last hope died on his lips upon their entering his bedroom in a rush.

Damon had found them.


	3. Chapter 3

Elijah moved carefully into his bedroom, trying to hide his rising panic that Damon was somehow going to prevent him from helping Elena and saving her life. The older Salvatore was deeply jealous over anyone who came too close within Elena's path, and the sight of him carrying Elena into his bedroom while she lay completely helpless was not going to win him any points.

"What the hell did you do?" snapped Damon immediately. He moved to go at Elijah and thought better of it upon seeing how Elena was unconscious and still within the originals embrace. Damon eyed Elijah dangerously, watching him as he slowly moved to the bed, silently lowering Elena down to it, resting her head against the large pillows as he did so.

"I have no time to explain Damon, only that we must work quickly should you want to save her life tonight," Elijah told the younger vampire firmly, daring to turn his back to Damon as he moved to the dresser behind him to get something from the top drawer.

Elijah pulled out a small, old looking, wooden box, and set it on the bed beside Elena. He opened it as Damon moved closer, gasping slightly at what Elijah removed from the box.

"What do you mean to do with that?" Damon hissed with bitterness. "I can smell you already gave her your blood, after your crazy ass mother did something to her. You said yourself that thing is useless if someone has already taken vampire blood..."

Elijah paused, still holding the bottle of the elixir in his hands. "I know what I said, Damon," Elijah snapped coldly. "And I know that I have given Elena my blood... but there is a chance that I was too late and it won't do anything to save her. She is mere minutes from death, and she will lose all of the blood left remaining within her, if I am right about the spell that my mother cast upon her. There is a chance Damon that it will not help her and she will die. This might help her due to it's magical properties and restore her to good health. Do you _really_ want me to stop now _Damon_?" Elijah finished with a threatening tone of his own.

If Elena died because of Damon's actions here tonight, Elijah would not allow the vampire to survive. Decided, and Elijah believed that Damon realized this too and the younger vampire decided not to get in the way. "Just _save_ her..." Damon finally replied, his words like a plea.

Above all, even his pride, Damon loved Elena too. Elijah realized, painfully so. If she lived, everything would be right with his world again. Elijah knew that feeling well. Quickly, Elijah moved upon the bed, helping Elena into a seated position to help ensure she drank it all and easily.

Once the bottle was finished, Elijah moved quickly and let Elena go back onto the bed. He gently moved long hair from her face.

"Now what?" insisted Damon when Elijah remained silent in his study of Elena.

"We wait," He said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

Elena could smell everything. The scent of a deep musk filled her nose, overwhelming her senses. Sounds filled her ears, tinged with deep voices. Then suddenly her taste took over, and the most enriched taste soothed her dry mouth, giving her a new strength. She latched onto it, feeling like a new baby drinking milk for the first time.

* * *

"What's going on?" Stefan said, noticing Elena laid out on the bed at the head of the room. Her eyes were starting to flutter.

"The wicked bitch of the originals clan decided to knock off Elena for her trying to help Mr _Charming_ _Liar_ here," spat Damon furiously, who had taken the spot in the chair that was right across from Elena's position. Elijah was standing on the opposite side of the bed, staring out the large glass doors that lead to a small balcony as if searching for an answer. "It obviously was a mistake," finished Damon, eyeing Elijah as if he wanted to kill him.

"What do you mean?" Stefan then demanded, knowing that Damon had not said everything that had happened.

"He means that _Elena has died _Stefan," replied Elijah, his back still to the Salvatore brothers and Elena. His voice, however, was unable to mask the emotions that he was feeling.

"That's impossible..." staggered Stefan, tears of confusion filling his eyes. "She was just downstairs..."

"My mother wanted Elena to keep secret the fact that she intended to kill my siblings and myself tonight," admitted Elijah, turning around to face Elena's suitors finally. "Elena decided to confess the truth anyway to me, and this is the result of my mother not getting her way," finished Elijah, barely able to look at the body of Elena on his bed.

"But I hear her heart beat," offered Stefan, still not wanting to believe it. Stefan went over to Elena and felt her pulse. "She's alive, she's breathing..."

"Elena died ten minutes ago," argued Damon, a bitterness still to his tone. "Look at the blood on the bed, Stefan."

And he did and he gasped in horror. The blankets were drying, stained with Elena's blood. He hadn't wanted to see what was right in front of him. "You made her a vampire," Stefan spat accusingly, suddenly grabbing for Damon's neck. Damon shrugged him off at once. "Correction brother," Damon snapped. "_He_ did," Damon said, pointing at Elijah's grief stricken face.

And it was true. Elijah, feeling the most selfish he ever had in his life, refused to regret it either. However, if she hated him for it, he knew that the guilt would consume him. The walls he had constructed around him were not that thick when it came to Elena Gilbert.

Stefan, not being able to deal with the truth, fled the room.

* * *

"How could he do that to her?" raged Stefan to Damon, outside in the corridor from Elijah's bedroom. "She never wanted to be a vampire, she was terrified of becoming one... now..."

"Elena has no choice," finished Damon quietly, thoughtfully. "Stefan," Damon then started. "If he didn't do it, she would have died. You didn't see what that spell that crazy witch put on her... I'm sure, in time, Elena will appreciate the fact that she'll still be here for Jeremy... and you," added Damon lastly with slight bitterness.

Stefan sighed. Of course. Elena's big decision. It was there between them. Elena hadn't officially said it, but it was there. She had feelings for his brother, and had grown closer to Damon while he'd been away with Klaus. Nothing serious had happened between them yet, but Stefan knew that it was now possible where it wasn't before.

He himself still felt something for Elena, but he knew it was better this way. Elena didn't deserve to have someone like himself.

"Still..." Stefan trailed off. "This, just isn't fair."

"Well, we can help her deal with this, Stefan. It's not like we're inexperienced with this sort of thing," smirked Damon. Stefan frowned. "Oh, come on. Be happy that the girl you love is still alive... she's just, dead too. Like us," Damon quipped before moving to leave.

"Where are you going? What about helping Elena..."

"Hey, I didn't turn her. I'll be there for the part where she needs someone to show her how it's done. You and Elijah, can break the news to her."

Damon was then gone and Stefan decided to rejoin Elijah and Elena in the other room.

Stefan gasped slightly in surprise upon entering the room again. Elena, no longer laying on the bed near death, was sitting up and talking to Elijah. The look on her face was devastating. She already knew.

Stefan crossed the room to her wordlessly and sat beside her on the bed. Elena was quick to fall into his arms in tears. Elijah moved to his earlier position in the room by the window, his shoulders shuttering slightly, showing rare emotion.


	5. Chapter 5

"_You're a vampire, be a vampire, Elena,"_ said Damon, offering his round of advice on how she should contend with the new reality that was her life now.

Elena, having enough of the banter of everyone, back and forth. Caroline, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Matt were all offering their advice on what she should do next. All but for Alaric who had remained quiet since Stefan had brought her home from the Mikaelson mansion earlier that morning.

She hadn't wanted to leave the quiet of the mansion. It had been wonderful after everyone had went home for the night. Elijah had stood by, silently watching over her while Stefan tried to be her emotional support. She would give him effort for trying. The detachment was still there though between them. He was here, but he wasn't. Knowing that he could leave her at any moment to follow Klaus's request made her not want to trust him.

And she yearned to have that right now. She missed that connection they used to share.

Tears threatened to spill for the millionth time, so Elena fled the Gilbert house unseen. Being near everyone right now hurt too much. The way that Jeremy looked at her... he was accepting, but Elena could sense his hesitance, and it hurt so much.

The blood bags were simply disgusting. She could keep the blood down, but she only wanted more. Elijah had given her her first taste of blood laced with the elixir he'd given her. Nothing had compared to it since. Walking around town, mixed with rage and grief, Elena found herself before the Mikaelson mansion again.

The house seemed magical within the depth of this late hour. She longed to reach out to Elijah again, but she didn't want to go inside for fear of facing Klaus and Rebekah. Klaus had been obsessed with using her blood to create his hybrids, now he wouldn't be able too because of what Elijah had done. Also, their mother Esther wouldn't be too pleased that she still lived. Would she have to fear her also?

Elena quivered slightly, her senses still not caught up with the rest of the changes to her body yet. Elijah had warned her that the process could be difficult.

Elena thought suddenly that perhaps she could catch Elijah's attention from out here.

"_Elijah, please... come to me..." _Elena whispered, wanting him to come, but also afraid that the wrong Mikaelson brother might come out of the mansion instead. A few moments of silence and nothing. Elena sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the day fall upon her as she began to walk away.

Perhaps she should leave Mystic Falls and never look back. At least there would be no one's expectations to live up too. No one's heart would have to get broken either.

At the end of the driveway, Elena jumped, startled, despite her new senses. There was Elijah in front of her, out of the blue of the moonlight. He was dressed in slacks and a half done up dress shirt. He smirked rather shyly as he watched her take in his clothes. He finished the rest of the buttons. "You certainly don't give a gentleman much time to finish dressing when calling upon him in the middle of the night, Elena," He told her, his eyes dancing. Elijah then looked up after finishing his shirt and met the eyes of the new vampire before him. She appeared shook-up and dishevelled, with her lovely doe eyes flashing complete misery.

Suddenly another wave of guilt flashed over him, wondering how he could have left her transformation to the hands of the Salvatore's. There was so much more to it than simply feeding her his blood. "Elena..." He began softly and she then crushed herself to him, lost to her grief. He held her like that until she quieted and then showed her inside.


	6. Chapter 6

"Elena, you're welcome here, always," Elijah assured the young vampire. When he touched her shoulders in reassurance before sitting across from her position on his bed, he felt a powerful spark from her. She was high on her senses and it was contagious. His connection with her, which had been there from the start, hummed for him. Elijah found it hard to meet her eyes before looking at her again.

Elena seemed to have felt it too and blushed when he looked at her. A reaction in a vampire that was highly rare.

"What about the other people that live in this house..." She said softly, edged with real worry.

Elijah smiled at her choice of words. Elena would get it eventually, but they were not people. Not anymore.

"The natives will not bring you to any harm, Elena," Elijah stated simply. "Niklaus was livid when I told him what had happened, but he eventually accepted it when he realized the only other option was to watch you die. _Rebekah_, I cannot promise that she will be nice, but I know that she will leave you alone. She is aware of my role in your becoming a vampire and that I will be helping you, if you agree."

Elena seemed taken aback by the choice he'd given her to take his help or not with learning to be a vampire. Damon and Stefan both had their own ideas on how she should go about things. Caroline, too, was even different slightly from them. Elena, so far, never felt so lost.

"I would love it if you'd help me Elijah..." Elena said finally, accepting his hand and taking it with hers.

Elijah smiled, trying to hide the feelings that her touch stirred in him. "Good. We will start tomorrow. You may stay here as long as you wish, but I do suggest that you attempt to return home eventually. It will be the only way that you know for certain that you truly have a handle on things."

Elena nodded, smiling. She finally felt at ease. "Now you can stay in the bedroom next to this one. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. Everything you should need is inside the bathroom which is adjoined to this room." Elijah then escorted her to a thick, oak door and opened it, revealing the largest bathroom she'd ever seen. He then lead her to the next bedroom but did not follow her inside.

"Everything will be alright, Elena."

It was the words she took with her into her dreams that night.

* * *

"Where are you?" Jeremy asked into the phone, finding his sister's hesitance to answer strange. "You just took off without saying anything, Elena. We need to know where you are..."

Elena sighed heavily, wanting to tell Jeremy so he could tell Alaric that she was alright too, but she knew that Stefan and Damon would find out where she'd gone too. She wasn't ready to deal with either of them yet. "Jer, I promise that I'm okay. I went somewhere that I'm going to learn how to do all of this. I want to go home, but I need to know that you and Rick are going to be safe with me there."

"You're with Elijah, aren't you?" Jeremy guessed, sounding slightly pleased by her choice.

Elena chuckled, amused that her brother knew her so well, even after her becoming a vampire. She couldn't bring herself to lie. She was never good at it. "Yeah, Jer. I'm here with Elijah." Elena admitted. It felt good to tell someone.

"Aren't you afraid of his crazy family?" countered Jeremy, not being able to help himself.

Elena smiled, touched by the obvious concern in his voice. One would think Jeremy was her big brother. "He's promised to keep me safe. They won't bother me, Jer. I really believe that."

"What about his mom..."

"Klaus and Elijah think she's left Mystic Falls for now. They haven't been able to find her anywhere."

"Damon and Stefan won't like that you've turned to the bad guys to help you, Elena."

Elena chuckled again. She couldn't help it. Despite their history, Elijah was the last vampire she's ever call _a bad guy_. There was just something about him that made her feel that she could trust him to get her through this. They had a connection of some kind. It was always there. "Elijah is anything but the bad guy Jeremy. I promise you. I can count on him."

Jeremy seemed to relax at her reassurance.

"Just tell Damon and Stefan to stay away from here. I don't need them getting in the way, and I can't promise that they'll be safe here too if they show up."

"Alright Elena. Somehow I don't see them exactly listening to me though."

"You'll be great. I know it," Elena replied softly, missing her brother. Perhaps their relationship will be alright.

"Here's Rick," said Jeremy suddenly and Elena fought the urge to drop the phone. She had seen Rick since her transformation but briefly. Very briefly. In fact, Elena was sure they really never spoke before she had fled the house. A part of her feared that he'd insist she go home and that she would listen to him. Elena longed to go home and return to everything familiar, but with that came decision making. From the romantic kind to how she was going to live the rest of her life.

She was frozen forever at the age of eighteen. That hit her suddenly, hard. Her birthday had only been a few months ago.

"Elena, are you alright?" came Rick's concerned voice into her ear suddenly. Elena fidgeted from her place on Elijah's bed. For some reason this seemed to be her main place to go to inside the mansion. Elijah had given her own room and her own space, but it was here with him that was always best.

"I'm better," She admitted honestly, smiling sadly when Elijah entered his bedroom, removing his suit jacket before noticing her on the phone. He moved to leave and she motioned him near her. She needed him close by right then. Elijah seemed to get it and took a seat by the window in the room, looking out it. "It's been so hard Rick. I had to get away from them. I need to find my own way on how to do this."

"And Elijah's the one you go too? _Elena.._."

"Yes," Elena said, defending her decision. "He is. He's giving me a sense of stability where I lost mine when I found out that I... that I became a vampire. I need this, Rick. I need to be here," Elena finished finally, hoping that her guardian would understand. _"I need to be here, with him," _Elena added silently to herself. She decided not to speak the last part aloud for fear that Rick would think that her new relationship with Elijah was inappropriate somehow. She was still trying to ready herself for the fight with Damon that was sure to come upon him learning where she was now settled and living.

If it came down to it, Elena was prepared to ask Elijah to take her away from Mystic Falls altogether. She really hoped that it didn't come down to that. It would mean that she'd have no idea of when she'd see everyone again.

"Alright," Rick agreed with a very deep sigh. "But you come back here, soon. Deal?" Rick then offered, trying to keep things simple. "I'm the one that is supposed to be looking after you, Elena."

Elena beamed into the phone, appreciating Rick more than she ever did. He was going to respect her wishes and he was going to let her do things her way. "I know," Elena spoke softly, wistfully, missing both Rick and Jeremy, more than ever.

"Bye Elena," Rick then said, reassured that Elena was going to be alright.

"Bye Rick," She then replied, forcing back tears. "I'll be home soon."

Elena pulled the receiver away from her face and set it down uneasily inside of her lap before looking at the original who sat across the bed from her now. Elijah freed her hands of the phone, smiling sadly at her. "You miss them..." He noted the obvious, hating to see her hurt.

"I miss all of them..." Elena admitted, chuckling. It hadn't even been three days yet.

"You can go and see them," offered Elijah carefully. "Stefan and Damon would be pleased to see you, I'm sure," He then edged carefully, surprising her by the sound she heard in his voice when he said their names. Elijah hadn't approved of how the Salvatore's had handled her transformation. He had called them careless. Elena had believed his words to be just that when he had said them. Concern for her. Nothing more. But just now almost made her believe he felt some sort of jealousy toward them.

Elena really didn't know why she even considered that to be possible. Elijah had never been anything more than a friend she _shared information with _and made some really unusual deals. His interest in her hadn't went beyond anything than his own interest or need at the time. She flushed, realizing what she was doing. Elena wasn't ready to think about her reasons why for imaging that Elijah had some sort of feelings for her.

Her heart was set elsewhere after all.

Her relationship with Stefan had yet to recover from his own transformation into Klaus's right hand. And whatever had been happening between herself and Damon over the summer had failed to go anywhere as well.

That had been her own fault though with Damon. Anytime he stepped too close she had pushed him back. Maybe it was time to change that.

Elena blinked out of her day dreaming, smiling at Elijah. "I do miss them, Elijah," said Elena about the Salvatore's. "But they won't like the choices that I have made recently. They'll only try and stop me from coming back here. Specially Damon..."

"Ah, _Damon_..." Elijah replied in a strange voice. He then sighed as if deciding something for himself. "Elena, I will support any decision that you make. I only wish to see you through _all of this_..."

"You're the only person that doesn't expect anything from me, yet you're ready to give me everything. Your entire time and attention. Thank you! I will never be able to repay you."

Elena reached out and sealed her hands around his own, and Elijah couldn't recall the last time that someone had done such a simple gesture. "You never have to repay me for helping you Elena," He told her, still looking at those small hands around his. Elijah met her gaze then, her eyes wide and trusting, and he suddenly felt monstrous for feeling the way that he did now.

"_You cared about her. Didn't you?" _said Elena to him once about his feelings for Katerina. He had. But in that moment he hadn't been thinking about Katerina and he wasn't thinking about her right now. These feelings would never be returned. He realized. Elena was so taken by the Salvatore's, the same as Katerina. The same as one other girl he had dared to love to. Tatia couldn't just love him and only him, either. She had loved Niklaus as well.

"Elijah..." whispered Elena when he suddenly realized he hadn't let go of those hands. "Are you alright?"

He blinked and let her hands go, forcing a smile for her benefit. "Forgive me, lovely Elena. I believe my mind was lost to another time for awhile."

"Another time," She repeated softly in agreement, her eyes recognizing his lie. Of course, it hadn't been nothing else.


	7. Chapter 7

"_Damon_," stated Elena, startled. She had been spending the afternoon alone, inside the back gardens of the Mikaelson mansion. Elijah had left the mansion on business, which Elena suspected had to do with finding the location of his mother. She was left to the watch of the other Mikaelson siblings, namely Klaus, who hoped to find a way to restore her to her humanity in the near future. Elijah had believed there was no cure, dashing her hopes that it was possible to become human again.

Luckily enough, Klaus had left her alone the last few hours, remaining inside of the house. But her quiet was now ruined by Damon's arrival, who looked livid with her. Elena slowly rose from her chair with a sigh, putting down the book she had taken from Elijah's library which was located on the floor of the house.

"You _died_ here, Elena. These people are responsible for what happened to you, _namely_ Elijah. What the hell are you doing here?" hissed Damon, his eyes wild.

Elena looked back at Damon tiredly. "Damon, Elijah's been helping me, with_ all of this_. Where you, Stefan and Caroline, wanted me to do things your way and with no other choices. Elijah lets me do what I think is best for me. I _need_ that right now. Can't you understand? Would you settle for people telling you how to live your life?" Elena reached for his hands when she felt her words had hurt him, deeply. "I know that_ you_, _everyone_, only wants whats best for me. But that's up to me to decide. Please see how this is right for me."

Alaric had to have told Damon the truth. Elena thought sadly. Of course he would have told his best friend. He knew how Damon felt about her.

"I want you to go home, where everybody can look after you, Elena. It isn't right..."

"Why?" Elena pressed. "It was Elijah that made me this way, why shouldn't he try and show me how to be a vampire... You and Stefan never had that with Katherine. No one showed you the right way. Why not want that for me, Damon?"

Damon hesitated, torn between forcing her to leave with him, and getting his way, and forcing himself to admit that Elena knew what she was doing. No matter how much he hated it.

"I do want that for you, Elena," Damon finally admitted, making her smile. "And if staying here with vampire fancy man is what you need, then fine. I won't get in the way."

Damon broke free of her hands abruptly and Elena could again see that he was hurt. Did he think her reasons for staying here with Elijah were more than what she had said? It bothered her slightly to think that Damon was jealous of Elijah, but another part of her, a part she wasn't ready to face yet, had been wondering the same thing. But she knew that she cared about Damon greatly, and maybe more than she once did. But was it the right time to explore that now? Elena was torn between letting him leave and telling Damon how she felt about him. She didn't want to lose the friendship that they had so carefully constructed either.

"Damon, wait... I..." Elena began, decided. What had she to lose? Stefan hadn't wanted her back since he returned with Klaus. And Elijah, despite the ever growing complications in their own friendship, had not done any action to back up what she had dared wondered was true. Did he have feelings for her? She might not ever know, given that Elijah always wanted to do the right thing, above all.

Damon stopped her words with a sudden kiss, catching her off guard. She gave into the kiss, how searching and exploring it was. Her feelings for Damon became more intense then, and Elena knew that she had indeed managed to fall for the elder Salvatore brother too. But was this right, between them? Elena really didn't know, only that this felt good. It felt good to know that someone loved her still and wanted her still. Damon finally broke the kiss and suddenly they weren't alone in the old yards. Elena backed away from Damon as if he had burned her. It was Klaus. And Elena felt as if he had caught her doing something very wrong.

Damon, seeing her reaction, backed away too. "I'm not giving up, Elena," Damon insisted to her, "I'll never give up on you."

Damon was then gone, leaving her alone with a smiling Klaus, mixed with her overwhelming feelings. "What do you want?" Elena finally said, hating to see how braggart the younger Mikaelson sibling looked.

"I'll fail to mention to big brother your newest _Salvatore_ conquest, if you join me, Elena," said Klaus, offering the young vampire his arm. "I did promise _big brother_ that I would watch out for you."

Elena, having nothing better to do, and slightly frustrated with Elijah about a few different things, gave in. Perhaps something different would be good for her. "Where are we going?" asked Elena, taking his arm with wariness.

"Back to the house, _little vampire_," beamed Klaus and Elena knew right away that it was a mistake to trust Klaus with anything at all. "It's time you see what it's like being a member of our vampire family, Elena. My brother has failed to show you what a good time can come with it."

Decided, Elena continued to follow Klaus. If anything, it would teach Elijah what a bad idea it was to trust her to the hands of Klaus. And for leaving her alone, _all day long_.

* * *

The last thing Elena expected to see was a party when they reentered the mansion. Filled to the brim, mixed with vampires, even humans. Some were even wolves and witches, Elena suspected. Everyone was dressed in old style clothes from the late 1800s. It was like stepping back into time.

"What is this?" asked Elena curiously, barely hearing herself above the classical music that had started to play.

It was then she started to smell the blood, mixed with musk and something else. Elena felt her eyes change, showing red. "Your new birth right," Klaus whispered to her. He then encouraged her into the crowd alone.

Into the middle of the crowd sat three naked human males, all bleeding somehow. It shocked, even horrified Elena to see this. She stopped however when she realized the others in the ball room had taken to watching her and the scene before them. Elena felt like a cat cornered. A dangerous cat that wanted to fight back.

One of the males stood and came toward her, offering himself to her by going on his knees before her. Elena hissed at his closeness, fighting the urge to dive in to the pool of blood forming at his neck.

"We're for you, Elena," He said, startling her by saying her name. "Please, take me." The young man then stood up before her, slowly moving to kiss her. Before his lips touched hers, Elena crushed him into her embrace, drinking his offered blood. The vampire had won out.

The others then moved toward her and Elena found herself waiting in anticipation to see what they were going to do next. Into the crowd, Klaus stood watching his brothers new protege, smiling. If he would not break her properly into their family, he would, with pleasure. Klaus continued to watch as the other two human males descended upon Elena. One going for her hips, pulling her toward him with a deadly smile to her face, lost to her own pleasure. The other daring for her dress, lifting it for what he sought.

This would teach his brother for messing with what was his.


	8. Chapter 8

Caught up in the heat, the sex that was happening within the ball room, mixed with blood. Elena let the human lift up her dress, cupping her body everywhere with his hands, while she fed greedily. She moaned when the hands went elsewhere and Elena could barely even think anymore.

The others who had been watching began similar activities with their humans. Elena turned, facing the human with his hands on her, letting her dress remain everywhere but in the right places, her breasts nearly both exposed, readied to take her next meal. Perhaps she would be kind and play with him now before taking what she really wanted. The need for his blood overwhelmed her.

Before she could show her meal what she wanted to do next, Elena paused, hearing the front entrance to the mansion slam open with a defining, thunderous boom. Klaus then stopped enjoying his meals from just a few feet away. He smiled, letting his meal spill down those beautiful lips. Elena thought briefly about licking off the sweet nectar. Her attention then flashed back to the entrance to the room, it's doors crashing open too, falling apart as a single man stepped through them. The two hybrids guarding the doors did not get the chance to question him on why he was here, uninvited. The man paused in mid stride, slapping the head clear off one and ripping the heart from the others chest.

Many moved clear of the man's path in fear, but Elena could only smile, high on her blood lust. She could only see how furious he was and that it was because of her. He was passionate, masterful even when he killed. And he killed so effortlessly and with great brutality. It stirred the vampire within her, making her want with longing. How extraordinary would his blood taste like.

"Niklaus, get your little friends out of this house, or I promise you that none will be able to attend another one of your special... _gatherings_... because they will all be dead." As an example, Elijah killed the werewolf to Klaus's right side. One he appeared to have been mating with. The female wolf's body then landed to the floor, her head bouncing somewhere several feet away. A few humans screamed and started running away.

"Easy!" demanded Klaus, livid that his brother dare to interrupt his gathering.

"No, Niklaus," Elijah argued softly, still sounding deadly with temper. "You decided to give my own _protege_, _made by my blood_, up to your blood hounds for your _sickening_ sex games._ Elena_ is _mine_ to do with as I see fit, and I gave her the chance to make some sort of a life for herself out of all of this, this mess that mother made. And you do this to her..." finished Elijah, motioning to Elena, covered with blood, glorious despite the disrepair of her dress and exposed flesh. Elijah then quickly moved for her, in one motion, giving her his jacket. Standing beside her, pulled her against him, away from the play things that his brother had given her. Elena, however, could only feel want she wanted in that moment. A chance to take what she wanted from him. Blood.

Before she could move to bite his neck, Elijah grasped her shoulders from behind, forcing her to walk right beside him. "This isn't over, Niklaus. Get these, _things_, out, or I will, very shortly."

Elijah then left with Elena, pulling her along with him, dodging searching small hands who dared to try and cup him repeatedly as they moved up the stairs. Elena would only laugh an inhuman wicked laugh and try again.


	9. Chapter 9

The walk up the staircase proved too challenging, so Elijah scooped up Elena into his arms, bridal style, using his vampire speed to rush into his bedroom with her. He unceremoniously moved to dump her onto his bed, however before he could let go, Elena did something he never seen coming. With her still new vampire teeth, she latched onto his bare neck, drawing blood, causing them to both cry out.

Before he could react next, Elena manoeuvred him onto the bed, flat on his back, while still firmly pressing herself into his neck, taking what she hungrily wanted. When he moved to get up, to stop this desirous new vampire from taking this any further, Elena fought him back down with her legs, straddling his chest before shimming downward, pinning him down, fitting herself perfectly under his waist and beginning to move, writhing back and forth, amazing Elijah on how perfectly she seemed to fit there, her body molded with his. Naked from her waist down, her breasts were both freely exposed from her dress which molded itself around her waist and no where else. When they began to brush his clothed chest, Elijah cried out, fighting to the urge to let Elena keep going with this.

She had no idea what she had just initiated with him. His own blood lust, usually so carefully controlled, now threatened to fall apart at the attentions of the writhing siren above him. Elijah could smell her arousal, now mixed with his own. When she giggled at his other loud gasp of pleasure, Elena moved for the zipper of his pants. Elijah managed to look up at her through the haze she had created and could clearly see this simply wasn't Elena that had started this in his bed. Her eyes were still red with blood, still not down from her blood lust.

She managed to free him and began to slide herself into the right position to take him inside of her. Decided that he had to stop her, no matter how much he wanted her to continue, he took the chance of flipping her body underneath his, pinning her underneath him.

"You want this," Elena moaned into his mouth, claiming his lips with hers gently before stopping, making him moan again himself. "Let this happen, Elijah," She cooed into his hair while wrapping her legs high around his waist, trying to move, encouraging him to take her.

Undone, Elijah gave into the urge to kiss her back, claiming her lips, hard with his own. The passion for her consumed him, and he began to move against her, careful not to go too far. Perhaps this, a release of the lust controlling Elena now, would help her regain the better part of herself. When Elena started to move her sex against his, the guilt for wanting her like this crept back in, and he regretfully forced himself away from her, clear across the room while he fought for his control back. Elijah then moved to pull up his pants and Elena had joined him from the bed, wrapping her arms around him from behind. He shuddered when he realized she was pressing herself against him from behind without the rest of her clothing. Decided, he turned to face her. He had to help her.

"_Elena,_" Elijah started, compelling her. _"It's been a very long day, please lay down and go to sleep. You're very tired and just want some sleep." _Elijah then cupped her face with his hands, giving her one last, brief caress of his lips before letting her go back to his bed wordlessly. He watched her naked form move under the covers and her body soon settle.

How tempting she was. How dark and beautiful she was when she was like this. Elijah finished dressing before going to the chair by the window and forcing himself to only look at the view outside for the rest of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

The scent, _his scent_, was everywhere. She had to be dreaming. How else could he seem so close to her? There had been kisses, touches, his body nearly joined with hers and Elena had finally felt free for the first time in months.

He was here, in this bed _with her_, _moving_ with her. Her dream soon changed and she awakened instantly upon hearing several people scream mixed with a heavy scent of blood.

Elena caught her breath and controlled the vampire fighting to regain control. She then gasped upon realizing where she was and that she had no clothing on at all.

The dream, it had been real. Elena thought quickly, soon horrified upon remembering all the things she had done, from Klaus's party onward. Klaus had fed her urges to lose herself to what she had become and she had stupidly allowed it to happen. How could she think that trusting Klaus had been a good thing to do at all?

And what happened after Elijah had saved her from all those blood hungry friends of Klaus's. Elena blushed, embarrassed and humiliated at her treatment of Elijah. How could she try to seduce him, use him for her new nature like that? And how she had nearly succeeded... Elijah had struggled to free himself of her, shook up at the feelings she had stirred in him. There had always been an attraction there between them, but nothing had ever come of it. _Until last night_... Tears welled up in her eyes. Did he hate her? Was that why he wasn't here now?

Elena moved to find anything to wear, quickly realizing her destroyed dress wasn't here. She put on a shirt of Elijah's, moving toward the bathroom door which would lead to her bedroom. Before she could open it the front door to the bedroom opened, stopping her cold in her tracks.

Slowly, she turned to face him. She wouldn't run from him, no matter how strongly she wanted to. It would be more simple to ignore what had happened, knowing that Elijah would likely want to do that instead of admitting the truth.

And then there was two other men in her life. One she had longed to reunite with, and the other she had longed to see if the attraction between them was something more. This, with Elijah, had blindsided her. And Elena truly didn't know how to handle it.

"I have some new clothes and things for you," said Elijah softly, setting to the floor a large designer bag he had carried inside the room.

Elena flushed, remembering what had become of that dress. Perhaps this was his way of apologizing for what had happened to her last night with Klaus. Although she didn't fault him in the slightest. It was stupidity that had brought on last night's events. And it had all been hers.

"Thank you," Elena said softly, fighting the feeling to cry. "_Elijah_..." She started hesitatingly. She cared for him, more than she ever thought possible. And it was safe to say her feelings for him now went far beyond what they first had been. But she didn't want to push him into admitting he felt something too. So she would just tell him her feelings and where she stood. Elijah could then decide what was next for them.

Emotion seemed to suddenly take over Elijah at the way she said her name. He shot her a look that burned through to whatever barriers had been left for Elena between them. Her chest hurt seeing how conflicted Elijah now clearly was. "You owe me nothing, Elena. I failed you last night... I'm your sire... I promised to help you and last night I did anything but that... I had every intention of helping myself..." He trailed off guiltily.

"Elijah, I don't regret what happened between us," Elena started uneasily when he remained quiet. He seemed appalled, even more guilty now. She reached to grab his hands and fought to hold them in hers when he tried to pull away. "I want us to continue on. I don't want it to hurt us. And maybe..."

"_Elena_..." He replied, an edge to his voice. "There is no _us_. There is the _Salvatore's_ and _yourself_..."

Elena felt stung by his sudden coldness. Was he trying to hurt her? "So you _did use me_... I meant nothing... _last night_ meant nothing to you..." Her voice started to break and she hated herself for it.

"You wanted to use me last night Elena... and you clearly have not closed the chapter of your life that includes Damon and Stefan... I will not be some sort of..."

"What?" Elena snapped suddenly. "Someone who means the world to me? I do still have feelings for them, Elijah. I won't lie to you. But don't deny that you feel something for me.. why can't we..."

"I have been in this place before, Elena," Elijah spat back sharply. "I won't share someone that I'm with again..."

"I'm not Katherine, Elijah. I don't know what she did to you, but I'm not her. I would never be like her. I would never use you..."

"I know that before the party you were in the gardens kissing Damon Salvatore..." He said, his tone like ice. He seemed pleased to see that he had hurt her too. "And how are you not like _Katerina_, _Elena_?"

Klaus had told him. Elena again hated herself for kissing Damon, for everything. Elijah began to walk away, moving for the door and Elena felt as if she was dying inside.

"You coward!" She said suddenly, with venom. He stopped and turned to face her. "Excuse me?"

"You would turn everything around, everything against me, rather than admitting the truth. Fine," Elena continued, crying now. "I think it's time I go back home."

Elijah seemed to hesitate before answering, but soon nodded. "If that's what you feel is best..."

He turned to leave the room again, but stopped in his tracks when she spoke again. "I kissed Damon, not because I'm in love with him. I kissed him because I wanted to feel like what it is to be cared about and wanted again. Is that really so wrong?"

Elijah frowned sadly, looking as heartbroken as she felt now. "Perhaps then Mr. Salvatore will be able to give you what you seek..." Elijah replied, then looking utterly lost, breaking her heart all over again. "Goodbye _Elena_... I will_ be there_, if you ever need me for anything."

He then exited the room, his back to her. Elena burst into tears again as soon as the door shut. How did it all go so wrong?

* * *

She had made it as far as the front doors to the Mikaelson mansion, glad that no one seemed to be around. Elena went for the door handle without looking back and cried out when suddenly strong arms held her in an iron grip from behind. Her breathing began to gasp, knowing who it was instantly. She could feel him against her from behind. It was enough to know who it was. What did he possibly want from her after ripping her heart apart?

"You break me apart inside and you _won't let me go_..." Elena protested, angry. The iron grip eased, but he still held her back to him. His lips found her ear. "I'm in love with someone I have no business having any feelings for, _Elena_. Forgive my outburst..." He then pleaded softly, touching her hair gently. Elijah pressed the softest kiss to her earlobe and then her cheek. Elena then felt as if she would die all over again. He used his hands to grip her waist, pulling her tightly to him. She wanted to fight him and then she couldn't. He had hurt her, really hurt her, more than anyone has. But yet she wanted to go back for more. Her feelings for him were all consuming and Elena wondered if they would be the death of her again.

Elijah then stayed like that, holding her, waiting for her to calm down. "You need someone that can be everything you deserve, and that isn't me. You need to _leave_, Elena, while you still are free to go."

Shaking now, he released her from his arms and Elena used her vampire speed to rush out the front doors to get away from him. She had to think, she had to breath and this was no longer the place that she could do either.

* * *

Elena returned home to a pretty quiet house. Both Alaric and Jeremy were more than happy to see her, but both seemed disappointed that she had given up her lessons with Elijah before they had really even started. Elena wanted to tell both Rick and Jeremy the real reason why she'd come home, but how could she confess everything that had happened in the last 24 hours? She had allowed Klaus to lead her into what can be called a blood bath with her as the main attraction and then she had almost slept with Elijah.

And despite how obvious his feelings were, along with their intensity, and she for him, he'd rather drive her away, try and frighten her from falling into what would be a very complicated relationship. And along the way, Elena knew that she'd fall for him hard. Because she already was. And he'd rather see her leave him forever than give the feelings between them a chance to develop into their potential.

Katherine, the hundreds years old vampire, who she was the doppelganger of, had met Elijah while she'd still been human and Elijah had fallen deeply in love with a girl who had only wanted to use his affection to save herself from Klaus. Elena's fault was that she hadn't been born ahead of Katherine and met Elijah first instead of her.

Katherine had left a long list of men behind her in the dust and Elijah had been the most damaged by her. Suspected Elena. Damon had only begun to recover from the hurt Katherine had brought upon him. Elijah had been nursing his wounds for over 500 years. And the next girl he manages to feel something for shares the face of the one who'd given him the most hurt.

What a mess their relationship was now.

Elena walked over to the dresser inside her bedroom of her family home and looked at what awaited her in surprise. A note.

It was from Stefan. He wanted to see her in the woods at 6pm.


	11. Chapter 11

Elena didn't take long to meeting Stefan in the woods of Mystic Falls. It got her out of what would be a very awkward supper with Jeremy and Alaric, who would ask questions about what had happened with Elijah. Questions Elena wasn't ready to answer for herself yet.

Her feelings for the original were strong and the allure she felt for him was something she had never experienced before with anyone. Despite having had serious relationships before, being with Elijah made her feel her age and cursed with inexperience where he was her complete opposite. Could they ever have a real relationship should they get past what was holding them back from each other? Elena could only hope so because at this point Elena couldn't see herself with anyone else anymore.

She told Elijah the truth when she said that she still had feelings for Stefan and Damon. But thinking about the possibility of ever being with either of them romantically made her heart break. Being with either of them now would mean that Elijah would forever be an impossibility. He would never give into her again, he would never forgive her if she decided to walk away and abandon whatever it was happening between them. Even with him pushing her away. Elena was certain of that.

She knew the choice was really hers to make. Damon, who wanted her and would give his love freely should she accept it. Stefan, who Elena suspected would always love her, had personal demons which were in control of him. If she managed to break his walls, Stefan's demons would always haunt them. And now, her own would as well. Her thirst was barely manageable on her own. Adding Stefan's problems to hers would be deadly. Elena stopped walking through the woods and smiled sadly upon seeing Stefan ahead, waiting for her.

Finally, she knew she had made her choice. She wanted Elijah and only him. Any other choice, no matter how good once, would never be enough for her. Damon, despite how his kiss had affected her, Elena knew that alone wouldn't be enough to make them work together. And Stefan, no matter how his presence managed to still calm her and warm her heart, Elena knew that she was no longer in love with him. It hurt to say goodbye to what was once so important, but it was time.

"Stefan, you wanted to see me," Elena started uneasily. She noticed a carry bag at his feet. Large and small stakes were sticking out of it. "What... what is going on?" She then asked softly, not getting it.

Caroline soon joined them from the woods. Tyler and Bonnie too. And Damon.

"These are white oak stakes, Elena," bragged Stefan.

"We're going to kill an original," Damon then countered, making her heart drop with a fast, sinking horror.

Stefan then pushed one into her hands. "We'll all have one. They might be all still linked too."

"One goes down," began Caroline. "Problem solved." replied Tyler.

"And you won't have to worry about Elijah anymore," said Damon, smiling.

Elena began to feel her eyes well with tears. Her friends were planning to take out Klaus, and were willing to take out any of the originals to make that happen. Especially Elijah, who had done nothing wrong, only save her from his mother.

Elena let the stake in her hands drop to the ground. "I can't do this..." She insisted and used her vampire speed to hurry the rest of the way home. She refused to look back and see the expressions on her friends faces.

Elena got through the front door of the Gilbert house and sighed tiredly. She heard someone walking around in the kitchen and decided to see who was still awake. Elena barely made it through the kitchen door when something hard was plunged into her chest.

Elena forced herself to focus, not being able to breath anymore. She gasped through horrified tears at the identity of her attacker. He plunged the weapon deeper then, making darkness claim her.

Somewhere inside the Mikaelson mansion Elijah stood up suddenly, feeling a violent pain to his chest. Seeing no one but himself inside the study, he quickly realized what had to be happening. Elena was in grave danger and needed his help immediately.

It wasn't long until Elijah felt his body recover and he was on the way to the Gilbert house.


	12. Chapter 12

The Gilbert house looked dark from the outside, but Elijah knew that Elena was near by and in terrible pain. He entered the house slowly, noticing the front door was slightly open. Bloody hand prints were noticeable on the other side of the door.

The living room was empty, as was the dinning room area. Elijah then walked towards the kitchen, seeing the door was closed to the room and the light was on. "Elena?" He called out. No reply came.

He reached out to gently push the door open but it wouldn't budge. Elijah then forced his eyes to focus in the dark, using his vision. He gasped upon seeing a stake directly in front of him, which was sticking out of the door itself. Blood was visible around the stake. Elijah tried the door again, hearing a thump against it when he did so. Then a familiar groan soon followed.

Elena was on the other side of the kitchen door and most likely pinned to it by a stake. If it was through her chest, one wrong move with the door could kill her, jarring the stake to her heart. Elijah decided to leave the house and go back inside using the back door. It would safely put him inside the kitchen with Elena then. "I'm coming Elena," He said from his side of the door. This time was complete silence.

A feeling of dread filled him. Coming back into the house through the back door gave him the most horrific sight he'd seen in some time. Elena, his dear, lovely Elena, was pinned to her kitchen door with a stake and not just any stake. A white oak stake had been used on her by someone. Attacked inside her own home. Elijah reached out, hesitatingly cupping her face in his hands before deciding he'd remove the stake from her chest before doing anything else.

With a sudden move, the stake was free from her chest and Elena's body nearly thudded to the floor before he managed to catch her. He truly believed her going home and trying to have a life with her family would have been the best thing for her. It was where Elena belonged. But it turned out that perhaps Elena had been more safe in his keeping after all.

Elijah crushed her to him in his embrace, feeding her his blood from his wrist to heal her quickly. She gasped aloud at the offer of his blood and latched on quickly, the vampire instinct taking over for her. Soon, within minutes, Elena's eyes were open and he helped her sit up on the floor.

"Who did this to you, _Elena_?" Elijah insisted as soon as Elena seemed to be able to focus on him. He would kill whoever did this to her. To attack him, was one thing. But to use this kind of weapon on Elena, a new vampire, his vampire, she was lucky to have survived. The blow with that weapon, although her attacker obviously intentionally just missed her heart, would have killed the average vampire. But Elena, created with the blood of himself, an original, made her a little stronger than the rest.

And that he'd been able to sense her pain, know that she was hurt terribly and needed him, was something that was very rare. It made Elijah believe that maybe they were bonded to each other somehow. It was something that worked like a sire bond, but was more intense, and it linked not just one new vampire to their sire, it linked the sire to their new vampire as well. He'd seen that once, but it had been Kol and a girl he'd been seeing. Upon realizing what had happened, that he was emotionally bonded to someone for the first time in hundreds of years, Kol had executed her and never looked back.

Kol now rarely turned someone into a vampire. If anything the lesson had taught him to have some restraint.

Tears welled up in Elena's doe eyes at the sight of him. And Elijah could feel the pain he'd caused her. Elena had somehow come to truly care about him and he'd turned that into something ugly. He had tried to convince her that it wasn't something worth pursing to him. How wrong he'd been to push her away. He wanted her with himself and no one else. Once they resolved this, he'd be honest with her and with himself. Perhaps she'd be able to forgive his ignorance.

"It was Alaric," She admitted, crying in earnest now. Elena noticed his features change and she touched him arm. "He wasn't himself, Elijah," She continued, her voice still horse. "There's something wrong with Rick. He'd never do this to me. We need to find him."

Elena went to stand up and Elijah helped her. She looked at him, surprised that he still seemed to care about her. "_Elena,_" He started, suddenly overwhelmed with his feelings for her. His words were silenced with a press of her lips to his. She then touched his face and Elijah knew that forgiveness was his.

"_What the hell_..." started a familiar voice and Elijah and Elena turned to see who had entered the kitchen from the back door as well. It was Damon and Elena sighed warily.

"Damon..." Elena started, trying to think of a way to explain everything to him, but finding herself at a loss for words.

"Oh, I get it Elena," Damon spat, obviously very hurt. "I came here to see if you know your history teacher just kidnapped _vampire barbie _and your new_ boy toy's_ little sister and hauled them to the high school. Apparently after almost two years Rick has decided to go all_ vampire hunter_ on our asses... He called me to bring Stefan along with me to the school or he was going to kill them."

"He just tried to kill me too," said Elena softly. "He said my parents would hate me for what I've done."

"Let me go to the school first," said Elijah, interjecting.

"Why the hell should we trust you," snarled Damon. "The minute our backs are turned you decide to go all _James Bond_ on Elena."

"Damon," said Elena, her voice suddenly hard, getting his attention. "_Please_."

Damon seemed to weaken at her plea and Elijah realized in that moment that Damon would always love Elena. He would do anything for her. Even if he never got the girl. "Fine. But if he isn't out quick we're coming in after him."

Elena shot him a look but then turned to Elijah. "Do you think you might know what's wrong with Rick?"

"He still wears his protection ring, from your family?"

"Yes," Elena replied.

"The protection rings are said to rebound on their keeper after such a time. How many times has Rick _died _wearing his ring?"

Damon frowned worriedly. "A lot, okay," He then snapped. Realizing his part with a growing guilt.

"The rings are spelled to protect their keepers for a _death_," Elijah continued speaking. "And one death, only. After awhile, if the ring is abused, the spell that holds the ring will rebound on itself, usually driving the ring keepers into madness before killing them. I knew your ancestor, _Samantha Gilbert_, Elena. It is how I learned of these rings. It was only after her death that I did some more research. Being from a family of a line of vampire hunters, Samantha's madness drove her to try and kill vampires. It was how she found me and my family. Samantha discovered first what Niklaus was and did everything she could to kill him after gaining his trust. Betrayed, Niklaus realized what was happening to her and only served to make things worse for her. Eventually she was put to the local hospital and sent away by her family before dying alone."

Elena blinked at the story, and worried all the more for Rick. "_Please_, Elijah. Please help save him... I can't lose anyone else." She admitted softly. Elijah cupped her face and touched her forehead with his own. "I'll do anything to help Alaric, I promise you."

Elijah then left the Gilbert house intent on finding Alaric. Damon went with him, not looking back at Elena. Elena frowned sadly, watching Damon go. A part of her would always love Damon, but she wasn't _in love_ with him like he wanted her to be. He would just have to accept it.

Elena could also only hope that Damon wouldn't try to kill Elijah with one of the stakes while they searched for Alaric. It might be the last mistake that Damon ever made. Elijah extended leniency to Damon and Stefan and her friends often_ because of her_. Elena couldn't promise how far that would go if anyone were to try and kill the original.

Elena, decided, closed her kitchen back door and made certain the rest of the house was locked up. Although a vampire, she did not relish the possibility of facing Rick in this state again. Despite how much she wanted to protect everyone she loved, she couldn't allow Rick to kill her. If she died again, Jeremy would be alone. Elena knew her brother was like her. They had both lost too much already in a _very short_ amount of time. If they lost anyone else, it might push either of them over the edge. She had to survive this, anything, that might come at them. Even a vampire hunter who they both loved dearly like an uncle that was bent on killing her and all the vampires she knew.

An hour later, Jeremy came home and she explained everything to him. Jeremy decided to stay up and wait with her to see if Alaric came home. Not wanting to be alone, Elena agreed. The two Gilbert's sat up until the saw the sun come up outside.


	13. Chapter 13

The high school was vacant that evening. Thankfully, there was no other faculty or student that would bare witness to the unravelling of Alaric Saltzman, or discover the history teacher had kidnapped two of his students who happened to be vampires.

"I believe that I should go first, Damon," started Elijah upon sensing the elder Salvatore join him upon the green field that was west of the school's baseball diamond. Stefan soon followed his brother, eyeing Elijah warily. From what Elijah understood, Stefan was still compelled to do his brothers bidding and was running through life without his humanity. Yet, the younger Salvatore still couldn't bring himself to detach himself completely from anything that involved Elena or her friends. Stefan Salvatore's feelings for Elena would always be there, underneath the surface. No matter how much he fought to deny they ever existed to begin with.

Elijah wanted to enter the school first, concerned that Damon and Stefan would do nothing to help save his sister from the vampire hunter. Especially if they could manage to get young Caroline Forbes out first, Elena's friend. After saving Rebekah and Caroline, he'd stop Alaric Saltzman, without killing him to the best of his abilities. Elijah refused to trust saving Alaric solely to the likes of Damon. He knew that Damon sincerely seemed to care about the man, even calling him friend, but Damon's first instinct was to protect himself above all else. Eventually that would become the vampire's undoing.

"No way!" snapped Damon, appalled by the suggestion that he should sit all of this out. "What if you get to save your baby sister and forget about the rest of us?" countered Damon hotly.

"What if I go in too?" offered Stefan, stepping in front of his brother when it appeared as if Damon was ready to attack Elijah.

Elijah frowned, but he had to admit that Stefan would be better at this than Damon. "Alright," Elijah agreed after a silence. "If I'm not out in five minutes, get to the classroom. It will likely mean that Alaric has one of those oak stakes left and has dispatched me with it."

Elijah then started towards the school, taking the time to remove his blue suit jacket, carefully leaving it upon a bench near by before going inside.

* * *

Elijah stepped into the school, using the doors closest to the history teacher's floor. He used a stairwell to get to the level where Alaric was with Rebekah and Caroline. He paused slightly just before entering a final set of doors located at the top of the stairs. He could hear the heart beat of the history teacher. It was wild, but the man still was human apparently. He could also feel the presence of his sister and also Caroline. Caroline seemed to be upset, hysterical even. Uncertain of how to escape her teacher without hurting him, most likely.

His sister seemed to be waiting for something to happen. She was calm, and in no danger. This worried Elijah very much. Rebekah, for the most part, was the seventeen-year-old girl who became a vampire, 1000 years ago. But there was the other part who had a temper to match Niklaus, and she was just as self serving, if not more so. If she believed that the teacher could be used somehow for her own gain, she would put something like this into play.

Elijah pushed open the doors and stepped through and stopped upon seeing who also had found the classroom, at the opposite end of the hallway.

"_Niklaus_," Elijah replied, feeling floored that his brother was here. Both Salvatore brothers stood beside him.

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention, I called for backup," spat Damon sarcastically for Elijah's benefit.

"Hello, big brother," beamed Klaus. "I understand that the lovely Miss Forbes and our sister is inside the classroom with Alaric Saltzman, being held against their will of all things. How about we show the history teacher what a really bad idea his plan was, hmm?"

Klaus was the first to dart inside the classroom, using his supernatural speed. Elijah shouted after his brother before hearing Klaus scream in agony.

* * *

"You had to stick your nose where it did not belong, didn't you?" chimed Rebekah, looking down at her brother in disgust. Klaus looked back up at his sister through the pain and then started laughing, almost painfully from his position, back down, on the floor of the classroom. "I should have expected that, yet again, _mother_, you would resort to using one of us to harm the rest," then spat Klaus viciously, still being prevented from moving by the wordless spell his mother had cast. "My poor sister will be devastated by more disappointment in you. The rest of us at least have accepted the fact that we can no longer trust you."

"Rebekah will help me with a greater purpose and she will be grateful that I will spare her for the time being. Mr. Saltzman needed very little encouragement. His ring helped him obtain the ability to see through the human facade that vampires give forth."

"His episode won't last, mother," growled Klaus. Then smiled knowingly."They never do."

"Let us go!" insisted Caroline from his seat at the student desk, while shooting Klaus a pained look. She was being bound to the desk by several wooden pencils, sticking through her hands, wrists and arms.

"That will be enough from you," said Esther while housed inside the body of her daughter. Then with one swift motion, using Rebekah's strength, shattered the front of Caroline chest, ripping out her heart. Klaus's then gave an in human cry of grief, watching helplessly from the floor as Caroline Forbes died at his mothers feet.

His cry was drown out by the sound of the classroom door opening with a forceful bang despite the spell that had sealed it. "Always late for the party, brother," murmured Klaus, sounding lifeless as he fought to draw his emotions deep inside.

Surveying the scene, Elijah looked to his brother with uncharacteristic emotion of his own. Klaus, being forced to the floor, helpless to do anything to save the young vampire who had unwittingly won the favour of his younger brother. Klaus had become enamoured with a bevy of women and vampires alike, all through time. But none had seemed to have the same affect as Caroline Forbes had upon him. His fancy for her, Elijah suspected, would have been unending. Their mother had apparently won again, this time killing a helpless girl who had only wanted to live peacefully with everyone. Human, wolf, hybrid or vampire alike. And now she held their sister hostage, using her to bring about her wreckage. Knowing full well that Klaus or himself would never do anything to truly harm Rebekah.

Certainly, Klaus had his daggers, but he had chosen to never kill any of them in such a way that they could not be brought back to life. In his twisted way Elijah knew that on some level it was because Niklaus loved each and everyone of them, and did not want to be alone in the world.

"You've won, mother," Elijah admitted with grim regret. Elijah walked into the room, the Salvatore's still both surprisingly here. "Release Rebekah and the others, and kill me along with Niklaus. Then you will have rid yourself of the worse of us."

Alaric then seemed to snap out of whatever had been forcing him along with his mission to kill them all on cue and looked around at everyone in confusion. Damon gave Alaric an odd look then and the school teacher then quickly realized what he was suggesting. In one motion, Alaric had a stake that had been on the near by desk and drove it hard through Rebekah's heart. Elijah cried out and so did Klaus. Klaus, who was instantly free upon the death of Rebekah, growled like a wolf and lunged for the school teacher's neck. Elijah went after his brother, now in wolf form, cried out to the Salvatore's to flee, knowing that Klaus was capable of anything in this form, one he so rarely choose to take because of the pain the transformation caused him.

The Salvatore's fled the scene, leaving Elijah to try and save Alaric from Klaus. After several minutes, Klaus gave up and released the school teachers neck from his razor fangs. Alaric had his neck almost nearly snapped in two from Klaus's brutal strength in this shape. Thankfully Klaus returned to human shape almost instantly afterwards. It was almost impossible to control him as a wolf. Daring a look back at his sister's body once realizing the school teacher could possibly survive Klaus's attack as he still wore his ring, Elijah gasped in surprise upon seeing that his sister's body was already healing itself.

Alaric had staked her, but with an average stake from the Gilbert family stalk. Rebekah was going to be alright.


	14. Chapter 14

Klaus had remained sitting in silence by the fireplace for the past hour and Elijah worried about what his brother was capable of doing in this state. Their mother, using her magic, had stolen Rebekah's body away from her, gaining full control of it for her own bidding. Elijah suspected that her plan had been to have the school teacher, in his new state, kill all of them by getting them cornered into a single room.

The linking spell that his mother cast at the ball seemed to be no longer affective. Broken by him failing to drink the champagne. When Rebekah had _died _briefly at the hands of the school teacher, Klaus had said he had felt nothing. Finn and Kol, later talking to them, said they had been fine as well.

The only great loss they had suffered tonight had been the unexpected murder of Caroline Forbes. Their mother had cruelly killed the young vampire who had done nothing to deserve her fate. Perhaps as a message to Klaus that he would not be able to stop her from her goal. She would eventually kill every single one of them. It did not matter to her anymore what vampire she started with. Their mother wanted to kill all vampires, everywhere. Not just them anymore.

It escalated the situation and made everything to be far more dangerous. If Elijah didn't know better, Klaus was in mourning for Caroline. He had been too devastated to say much of anything since they had returned home, simply taking to stare lifelessly into the fireplace.

Elijah had considered going to tell Elena about the death of her friend, but the Salvatore's insisted on getting Elena's remaining friends and family to break the terrible news to her. Elena and Caroline had been friends since their childhood. Knowing how greatly Elena had adored Caroline, Elijah agreed it would be better this way. He would go to her by morning to offer what he could, and to perhaps see if Elena faulted himself somehow for her loss. It had been his mother who had killed the young vampire after all. If they had never returned to Mystic Falls, his family, perhaps Caroline Forbes might still be alive. Elena herself might not have ever become a vampire.

Perhaps, Elena would be better off if he left her behind him forever. But his logic was wasted the moment he remembered how deeply he had fallen in love with the young vampire that hadn't been meant for him. He wanted her and he would be with her if that was what she wanted. Always. But he would leave it up to Elena to decide.

"Niklaus," Elijah said softly, sitting beside his brother on the chair beside his. Klaus blinked upon hearing his voice, seemingly surprised that Elijah was there.

"What has caused mother to do this," began Niklaus thoughtfully. "I understand her wanting to kill me, but you, Finn, Kol, Rebekah..."

"You believe because we were her children with Mikael that we are somehow better than you, brother?" asked Elijah, voicing a thought that had always been there, but never said aloud. "You grew up with us, raised with us," continued Elijah. "You are my brother as much as the rest, Niklaus. You are her son, as we are her sons and daughter. To her, we are no different than you. To us, you are no different than the rest of us. So stop that sense of remorse for something that can never be changed."

Klaus smirked, understanding what Elijah was trying to say. It did not matter if they did not have the same father. They would always be brothers, be family, until the end of days. Or their own. Whatever came first. And for some reason, they still managed to care about each other in the end.

"So where is your lovely _doppelganger_ this evening?"

Elijah blinked as if he'd been slapped. Reality was now setting in and he remembered all the recent things Klaus had done to Elena. Why did his brother always insist on ruining the good moments between them? "Niklaus, please stop mentioning Elena as..."

"Has she run back to the Salvatore's already, Elijah?"

Elijah scowled at that. "Mother killed one of her dearest friends tonight, as you well know," Elijah spat back sharply, enjoying the dark look that came to his brothers eyes at mentioning Caroline. "I don't believe that any girl would be thrilled at the prospect of going home with the son of the woman who murdered her friend in cold blood..."

"Elena will eventually recover Elijah," replied Klaus softly, shocking Elijah a bit that he was showing real care about his feelings. "Then she will be returned to the fact that her life has changed and she has out grown the need to be with her high school sweetheart, and her desire to know what it's like to be with the bad boy for a change. Elena has surpassed her interest in the Salvatore's brother and you know it."

"Yet they are the one's comforting her now," countered Elijah darkly, letting himself slip into an old belief that he wasn't meant to find happiness with love. Events had taken both Tatia and Katerina away from him. Falling in love with Elena had been both unexpected as it had been painful. He developed feelings for a woman who had been spoken for. So he had left Mystic Falls.

Would they be able to really look past everything? Could they honestly be together after everything that had happened between them?

"You are so self loathing Elijah. Elena should have taken up with me, at least I know how to have fun," teased Klaus, making Elijah stand up and finally move away from his brother.

Elijah was thinking back to the horror he had felt upon seeing Elena enamoured with her play things, with obvious sex and blood mixed in. It honestly had taken very little encouragement from Niklaus for Elena to fall into that bit of darkness he had found her mixed up in at his brothers party. Was that something she had enjoyed? Did she regret him taking her away from it? And what would have happened between his brother and Elena if he hadn't stepped in when he had?

The questions swimming inside his head were questions he did not want to consider yet there it was. Would he really be enough for Elena Gilbert?

Elijah looked back at Klaus for a moment. Decided. "Stay clear of my business Niklaus. That includes Elena." Elijah then left Klaus alone, hating himself for caring to begin with.


	15. Chapter 15

The day never seemed to end. Elena had never been so happy to see everyone leave and leave her alone in return. Damon was still trying to be something that he wasn't. He wasn't the comforting, supportive boyfriend. He tried to be her friend but his feelings were getting in the way. Damon couldn't let go of the fact that it was Elijah's mother who had done this, trying to use Caroline's death as a way to turn her against Elijah.

Thankfully Damon choose to leave when Stefan did, leaving her in peace with Jeremy and Alaric. Anymore of his trying to reason away her feelings for Elijah, Elena couldn't promise she wouldn't look for a stake. Elena hadn't out right told Damon that she had fallen for Elijah since she had turned, but she didn't have too. It was obvious to any who seen them together, and it was something that stood between them now. Damon was okay with her being with someone that wasn't Stefan providing it was him, and only him. Her real feelings honestly didn't matter much to Damon Salvatore.

Elena returned to her bedroom, enjoying the peaceful feeling that settled over her instantly. But she stopped when she realized why she had suddenly calmed down. It wasn't because of the familiarity of the room. It was because he was here and she could feel the connection they shared without even really thinking about it. "Elijah," She said aloud, sounding surprised. Elena couldn't help it. Despite the changes to their relationship, he still could overwhelm her with his mere presence.

He approached her slowly, with hesitation that hadn't been there between them for awhile. Elena fought the urge to reach out and grab him and pull him near. There was something about him that made her think twice about it. Elijah wasn't himself. He looked deeply troubled.

"I wanted to give you more time," Elijah started softly, his voice pained. She felt his hurt instantly, and Elena knew what was wrong. He wanted to know if she faulted him for what happened to Caroline.

She couldn't believe that he felt like that. His mothers actions were not his own. "I need you to give me the pleasure of your company," Elena countered, giving him a smile just for him. Elena reached out and forced his hand in hers, pulling him to the near by seat at the window. A small yank made him fall, sitting beside her. When he went to move she locked him tightly to her, grabbing onto his arm with both hands, leaning against his shoulder. "Oh, you don't get to do that right now," Elena told him firmly, not meeting the guilty gaze that she knew looked her way. "No more running away from me, Elijah. I don't think I could take it today."

Elijah seemed to decide something important. Elena could see it from the corner of her eye. He smiled slightly, enjoying the attention that she was giving him. Was it finally starting to sink in for him? Elena wanted to say something meaningful for this rare moment between them, but was interrupted by a low rumble and then a small growl.

Elijah started chuckling, beaming happily at her.

Elena then laughed too upon realizing what those sounds were. They were coming from her, because she was hungry.

"I take it my new vampire has failed to eat properly today?" asked Elijah softly, going along with her effort to forget what happened today. If only for a little while. The loss of her friend Caroline was great, and Elijah could feel the pain fighting for control over the new vampire. Elena wouldn't be able to push it back for too long.

Elena smiled at his words, very much liking the use of _my vampire _especially. "New vampire is guilty as charged," said Elena before taking abrupt notice of the delightful smell Elijah was giving off next to her. She gasped slightly, realizing she could smell his blood. The sensation made her all the more hungry, but in a different way. She grabbed his wrist close to her mouth, but not biting him. Instead she smelled his skin, creating a gasping sound from him. Her vampire eyes focusing on the vein that was visible on his wrist just beneath his skin. "You smell amazing," Elena said aloud, venturous in this new level of sensation that she had discovered. Not being able to help herself any longer, she licked that vein that had been so teasing of her. Elijah cried out, breaking Elena from her trance. He looked so shaken up, so breathless. It took her a moment to realize what exactly had just happened.

Sexual arousal. She smiled at that, like a cat ready to pounce. And pounce she would before the original had a chance to go all honourable and noble on her.

Elena grabbed his wrist back upon hearing her name on his lips and bit the skin ever so gently, enjoying the taste of his blood instantaneously. She moaned, and bit down, taking in his delicious blood. Gasping again, Elijah surprised her, pulling her up into his lap as close as she could get while she continued to work for his blood. She began to move her hips in his lap and he finally decided to join her rather than deny her.

He forced her lips from the wound, and stopped, smiling at her before lifting up her hair into his hands and going for her neck. Elena offered herself to him, blissfully so. Her skin tasted like strawberries. He thought before using his teeth to gently break into her flesh and taking what he wanted from her.

Her taste was overwhelming for him. Elijah found himself almost crushing her with his arms, so he eased up on the embrace. Elijah broke free upon feeling Elena moving for the zipper on his pants. Any protests died on his lips when she did something most unexpected. Finding the feel of his legs most fascinating, her teeth soon found a new home in the flesh there where their cores had nearly met. Elena greedily drank from him there before taking his sex into her mouth.

Elijah cried out in heavy pleasure, and he took a moment to marvel at the sight before him. Elena, shirt now barely there, her hair fanned everywhere as she took him in. He thought her to be a seductress sent from heaven to torture him.

She finished soon and he pulled her back into his lap to sit, and he lovingly cupped her face in his hands. Elena smiled, glorious in these new feelings and sensations between them, and soon moved to take him inside of her.

He pulled back suddenly, afraid they were going too far, too fast. Elena took the turn to cup his face, smiling lovingly while she stripped rest of the way, waste down. "I want this," Elena confessed to him. "I want you, Elijah. I love you!"

Elijah nodded wordlessly, afraid to say anything else that might which ruin this moment. He allowed Elena to guide them along, giving her the chance to stop, so should she change her mind. She moved, taking him inside of her, smiling in awing satisfaction at the feel of him.

So she began to move, slowly. Leaning back every few moments, making him reach out to her to stop her from falling to the floor. Gladly taking her waist in his hands, moving his hands up until he could completely remove her shirt from her body.

Elena, completely naked, riding him was a sight that he would never forget, forever burned into his memory, the pure beauty of her in this form. And she was all his. Sealing it with this act, her feelings, her love for him.

When she finished, taking him with her, he whispered his own confession of love into her hair that covered them both like a blanket. Elijah stood up, holding her up against him, her legs wrapped around him, leading her to the bed.

They both froze at a knock at Elena's bedroom door.

"Elena," called Jeremy, sounding annoyed. "Stefan is downstairs. He wants to see you."

Elena gasped, the shock on her face was obvious. Elijah eased her down to the floor, hating the guilty look upon Elena's face which was also obvious. Perhaps, this had been too soon after all. The thought pierced his heart, threatening to shatter it. He moved away from her, reaching for the floor, dressing within seconds into his clothes.

Elena dressed hurriedly too. "I'll be there in a minute Jer." Elena called out from the shirt she was trying to force over her head.

"And keep it down," snapped Jeremy lastly. "Some of us like to use the dark to sleep."

This caused Elena to stop and grin up at Elijah naughtily so. Her beaming face quickly reassured him that this had meant something to Elena, something she wasn't about to toss away in favour for an old boyfriend that might have finally made up his mind to want her again. Elena pulled up her jeans in front of him, making Elijah wonder what Stefan will think when Elena came down to speak with him smelling like himself instead of her usual scent.

She wasn't about to hide this change to their relationship to anyone. Elena then grabbed for his hands, kissing them before cradling them to her chest. "Stay here," Elena said seriously. "Okay?"

"Your family will want to sleep, Elena," He found himself smiling in return upon remembering what Jeremy had said.

"But I don't want too," Elena replied with another grin before moving for her bedroom door and going downstairs to see Stefan.

Despite the horror they had experienced over the last 24 hours, Elena had found the peace she had sought within him, his company. And much more. Elijah thought lastly. Perhaps love too and it was real. And she wasn't about to let it or him go.


	16. Chapter 16

"Stefan," said Elena while stepping onto her front porch. She smiled at him despite herself. Perhaps there would always be a part of her that would look for something to recognize the boy she had first fallen in love with. She had come to accept the fact that he would never be looking for her in return.

Elena crossed her arms and followed Stefan to the steps when he sat down. "Jeremy said you wanted to see me," Elena began awkwardly when Stefan remained silent beside her while they sat together on the stairs.

He looked at her then, his eyes pained. "Elijah was here..." Stefan said, making Elena frown at him. She no longer felt bad when it came to having feelings for someone that wasn't Stefan. The thought gave her comfort despite knowing that there was apart of Stefan that was hurting right now, and it was because of her.

"Yeah," Elena finally said after a long silence. "Stefan, look, I would have told you, but, I really didn't think it would matter to you who I was seeing now. Elijah was here, Stefan."

"All this time," Stefan started again, hesitation obvious in his voice. "None of it was worth it. I thought if I defeated Klaus, that it would make up for everything that we lost together. I let you slip away, and now, it's over. You're with someone else."

Elena felt her tears begin to fall down her face. "I never thought this would happen, Stefan. I wanted to wait forever for you. But then there was Damon. I did care about him Stefan. And then all of this happened with Elijah. I don't regret it, Stefan. But maybe it happened for a reason. I wouldn't have fallen in love with someone else if we were really meant to be together."

"I never stopped loving you, Elena," Stefan replied, not looking at her. "I just didn't know how to tell you. After everything that I did, I felt you deserved better."

"I loved you for so long, Stefan," said Elena, her voice breaking. "But I had to move on. I think there's a part of me that will always love you. But I couldn't wait forever for you to make up your mind about us. Please understand that..."

Stefan smiled back at her, and his look stopped her cold. "You shouldn't have gotten involved with Elijah, Elena."

Stefan then moved before Elena could blink, breaking her neck with his hands. Her body fell against him, and he effortlessly lifted her into his arms before taking her away from the Gilbert house.

* * *

"You managed to take her from my brother," beamed Klaus, taking note of the unconscious Elena which was laid out on the living room sofa. Her neck was healing quickly from the neck snap that Stefan had given her. "I'm impressed, Stefan. I had fully expected you not to follow through on our deal."

"I got Elena away from your brother, now you hold up your end. Leave me alone."

Klaus moved quickly to stand in front of the young vampire, using supernatural speed. "I'll do you one better, Stefan," replied Klaus, his voice edged with kindness. "Turn it on," smiled Klaus, enjoying the shocked look that Stefan met him with. Stefan hadn't wanted to feel anything, ever again, after losing Elena. Now he was going to have to face what her loss in his life really meant to him. Stefan froze, then quickly his face showed the emotions that he had been blocking for months.

Overwhelmed, Stefan did the only thing that he could do, and stood his ground with the hybrid. Instead of confronting him about his intentions with Elena, Stefan moved to go to her side, sensing she was waking up.

"Stefan," started Klaus, warningly. "Don't do anything stupid. Elena may love my brother, but she will always care about what happens to you. Don't force my hand."

"What's the matter, Klaus," replied Stefan coolly. "You think I would really be stupid enough to take Elena out of here after kidnapping her for you?"

Stefan then dared to continue what he was going to do. He bent over Elena who now regarded him with fear. He reached out and pushed her hair out of her face before whispering to her something that even Klaus had difficulty hearing.

_``I`ll always love you, Elena. Remember that! Never let that go!``_

``Run!`Stefan then snapped at her, giving her a chance to flee outside of the Mikaelson mansion, using her vampire speed as fast as she could go. Elena was two blocks away before she let her fear subside and she realized that a twig she thought she heard snapping in the distance was likely Stefan's spine. Elena shuddered, nearly falling before forcing herself to continue to run. She had to find Elijah. Everything was going to be alright if she only found Elijah. Elena refused to think about anything else. She couldn`t lose anyone else that she cared about. And merely the thought that Stefan had just likely died while trying to save her from Klaus was enough to make her heart stop beating from the pain it seared there.


	17. Chapter 17

Elena kept moving through the streets until she found herself standing in the middle of town. Her desire to keep running was strong, but she had to get help. She couldn't just abandon Stefan to the hands of Klaus. Not after him saving her, giving her the chance to flee.

And Klaus had did the worst thing possible to Stefan before she had fled. He had forced him to turn his emotions back on. Now Stefan would feel anything that Klaus had in store for him. The very thought was enough to make her want to break down and cry. Their romantic relationship had reached it's end as far as Elena was concerned, but she still loved Stefan. He still mattered to her. He always would. But those feelings were just different now. She no longer thought of him as her love, but he was still a great friend who needed her help now more than ever.

Elena pulled out her cell phone from her pocket, first dialing Elijah's number. She had no idea if he was still at her house, or where he was exactly. "Elena!" said his warm, rich voice immediately, and she let out a cry of relief. "Where are you? What is happening?"

He could sense her anxiety at even this distance. "Stefan took me to Klaus, but he changed back and helped me get away from him..." Elena started in a rush. "Now I really think Stefan is in trouble...`

"Wait, my love," interjected Elijah, trying to sound calm so that she herself would calm down. "Tell me where you are, Elena."

"I'm in the town square," admitted Elena. She looked wildly around her. It was late and getting dark fast. "Please," She then started, being unable to hide her rising fear. "Find me, Elijah."

"I'll always come for you, Elena," replied Elijah softly, "I will find you, Elena." He then said.

"I'll be here," She replied, fighting tears again. "Please don't be too long, Elijah. I'm so scared..."

The line went dead and Elena blinked upon the sudden realization about how vunerable she was right then. It was dark and she could hear everything that was happening around her. The trees flowing in the breeze even seemed threatening.

Someone then gripped her arm from behind her and Elena cried out in fright. She then almost stopped breathing at the sight which greeted her. It was Elijah, and he was here for her. Elena drove into his arms, crushing herself into his embrace. "Thank god you're here."

Elijah let her cry for a moment before starting to move her towards the dark area of the street. "Elena, we should get out of here before we say anything else." He then smiled down at her, hating to see that she was crying and so afraid still. Elijah then offered her his hand and she took it. Before she could open her eyes they were back to the Gilbert house.

"Bonnie is supposed to be coming here shortly, Elena. Rick is aware that you were taken and that I was going to bring you back. I want you to stay inside the house until I return for you."

"Why?" She said, feeling the panic set in again. She had just found him, she couldn't be parted from him.

"We need to find out why Klaus made a move against you. He assured me that he had no real interest in you, but that was obviously a lie. I will not let him get between us, Elena."

Elijah then surprised her with a kiss then. One she gladly gave into. They had just begun to express their feelings to each other. It was unfair that everything seemed to be getting in the way to stop it from happening again. "I'll find out what is going on, and what is happening with Stefan, Elena. You have my word." He then kissed her once again, this time more slowly, softly, as if savoring the very feel of her.

"I'll see you soon," He then said before vanishing from her sight.


	18. Chapter 18

Stefan awoke, feeling his neck. It was broken still but nearly healed. Klaus had broken it upon him helping Elena escape him, not wanting to see Elena fall victim to the original again.

From what Stefan could understand, Klaus had a renewed interest in Elena. An interest that went beyond his need for her blood. No longer human, Elena's blood would be useless to create his hybrid army. So his interest in her now was something else.

Stefan believed that the hybrid's interest in Elena was born from the new connection and relationship that Elijah now had with Elena. When they still had been human, there had been a girl named Tatia, who had been the originator of the Petrova family line. Both Klaus and Elijah had been in love with her, and the girl had died by their parents hands to aid the spell that had made them vampires. Over 500 years later, the originals had found Katerina Petrova, Tatia's descendant. Both had become attached to Katherine as well, and Katherine had eventually come between them, just like Tatia had.

Damon and himself had both fallen for Katherine's tricks as well. And both had fallen desperately for the girl they had met over 150 years later who bore her face. It was easy to believe that both originals could still harbour a soft spot for a girl with those same lips and dark eyes. It was just impossible to believe that Klaus's feelings about Elena could be honest as Elijah's. Despite forming some sort of attachment with Katherine, Klaus had planned to kill her 500 years ago. It was Elijah who had any thought to try and save her from being sacrificed. Klaus hadn't cared to do even that.

So whatever his plans were for Elena, Stefan knew that he couldn't trust that Elena would be able to survive them.

"I bet you're wondering what I have planned for your girl, Elena," said Klaus as if reading his thoughts. Stefan looked up from his place on the floor. He was still inside of the Mikaelson mansion.

"She's not my girl anymore," snapped Stefan darkly. "Your brother made sure of that!"

"Oh, please, Stefan. A love like yours and Elena's never really dies. Don't fault my big brother for all of your problems. The real reason you lost Elena was your inability to think more of her than your lust for blood. But now that she is a vampire, don't you think that she now understands where you are coming from? You could still have her, Stefan. I know you want her, don't deny it! You will love that girl until the day you die and you know it."

"I can't make her be with me, Klaus," said Stefan, in disbelief of where this conversation was going. "She wants to be with Elijah." Stefan's tone clearly showed that this was the last thing he wanted to discuss. But if he kept it going, maybe he could get a better understanding of Klaus's plans.

"But what if you helped me kill my brother, Stefan?" Klaus then offered with a smirk, enjoying the shocked look upon Stefan's face.

"You seriously want to kill Elijah? Why?" questioned Stefan immediately.

"My brother, not long ago, plotted with all of you to kill me. Why do you think that I would want to keep him alive? He took what belonged to me, Stefan. I needed her blood and he knew that, yet made her a vampire. My brother needs to know that he is done trying to play god with me."

"So what if I agree, what do I have to do?"

"Help me get my brother alone, and give me one of those lovely white oak stakes of yours. I'll do the rest, and the lovely Elena will be so grief stricken by my brothers loss that she will fall into your arms. She still loves you, Stefan. She just has made herself believe that because of her new relationship with my brother she can no longer return to you. Lets help her with that!" Klaus offered Stefan a hand and he took it. He had already lost Elena, so Stefan no longer had anything left to lose by accepting.

* * *

"Rebekah..."

The original sister seemed startled at the arrival of her brother through her living room of the new house she had recently quietly acquired. Since the reunion of their "family" and lastly the mess that had happened at the high school with Alaric Saltzman where he had managed to kill her for a few minutes at least, Rebekah could not stop thinking about how she wanted to desperately escape what her family had become.

So, without asking anyone, she had left her brothers home for them without saying a word to anybody. A week of freedom and she had been discovered. Would Elijah really make her go back?

"Elijah...why are you here?" The original sister asked softly, accusingly. Elijah had always been the kindest out of Klaus and himself to her, but he could be even more cunning than their brother when it came to getting his way.

"Rebekah, did you really believe that no one would notice that you left the house? You almost died. It was Kol who told me of your plans to leave, but I felt it best to let you do what you want considering what you had been through."

Rebekah blinked, surprised by the obvious care in her brothers voice. She then shook away the sentimental feeling. "What has Nick done now Elijah to your precious _Elena_? I know you care, but you would never come unless you had a reason, and the only reason for anything you do lately is all for that doppelganger girl..."

Elijah smirked, but didn't deny it. His sister knew him well, despite the little time they shared together in the past one hundred years. "Klaus is using Stefan to get at Elena and myself. I want to know his intentions."

Rebekah laughed aloud at that, and Elijah gave her a frustrated look. "Seriously? You're both fighting over yet another Petrova..."

"Not yet," countered Elijah hotly. "Should I be concerned about this, Rebekah? Does our brother really want Elena? I have found that difficult to believe. I have never seen him in love with anyone..."

"Accept for a girl who shared the same face as Elena..." replied Rebekah, cutting her brother off. "He doesn't love Elena, nor did he love that _Katerina," _hissed Rebekah, saying the name. "But he has spent over 500 years hating you picked your dear _Katerina _over him, and now you have started a relationship with her doppelganger. Do you honestly think that our dear brother would simply let you both to it?"

Elijah blinked, feeling stupid. Of course Klaus would hate his new relationship with Elena and the connection they shared. Their brother was all about control. He refused him Katerina when she had still been human, a decision based on jealousy that he had found some happiness for himself in a sea of lifetimes of darkness and misery. His choice to love Katerina had eventually lead her to kill herself to escape Klaus and she became a vampire as result of a choice she made to flee rather than trust him with her life. Elijah had spent lifetimes hunting her and hating her, seeing her choice as a betrayal to the bond they once shared. Would Klaus also be successful in destroying what he now had with Elena as well?

It was all a game to Klaus. A vicious game against those who dared to want something for themselves, for wanting a life that didn't include serving him.

So his brother was going after those who meant something to Elena. People who she loved. And Elena had spent a very long time loving Stefan Salvatore. Their relationship was over, but still hurting him would get to Elena because he would always be someone who she loved. Elena wasn't the kind of person who could simply choose to stop caring about someone. Klaus would use this, possibly both Salvatore's, to come between himself and Elena until she realized how dangerous it was to be with him and so close to the original family.

"I think perhaps you're right, Rebekah," replied Elijah after a long silence, his voice pained.

"What just are you planning, Elijah? I know that you and Nick have had thousands of disagreements over the years, but don't let some descendant of that cursed family destroy ours. Elena will never help you make up for what happened with Tatia and Katerina, so stop trying."

"It's more then that now, Rebekah," said Elijah softly. "I know they have all shared the same face, the same appearance, but they are not the same. Not to me," finished Elijah, beginning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" called Rebekah worriedly after him.

"I'm going to end this, Rebekah. I'm going to give Niklaus what he wants. I will give up Elena if he'll leave her and those she cares for alone."

Elijah turned to leave.

"But what about yourself Elijah? You're forgetting that your included in that short list of those she cannot live without."

"She'll learn too," Rebekah heard only faintly with her vampire hearing. Her heart broke for both of her brothers. One could love easily with his heart on his sleeve, but only for a girl with those same Petrova features their other brother had spent a thousand years hating with every fibre of his being. Klaus had never been able to forgive Tatia for ultimately dying, leaving him alone in this world, and he had forced Elijah to bare the cross of that unforgiving, irrational hate for hundreds of life times. And now Elijah was going to lose a new chance at love again simply because their brother could never learn to let go.

This was a story that would have no happy ending.


	19. Chapter 19

He found his brother at the Salvatore house of all places. It had taken several hours, but he was finally able to track Niklaus using his vampire senses. He had thought of the Salvatore house before now, but hadn't believed it until he was lead back here again.

Niklaus was planning something where Elena was concerned. His motives were not to simply chase Elena as a romantic conquest, it was much more then that to his brother. By getting at Elena he was getting revenge for centuries old jealousy and that was enough reason for his brother to seek to destroy the budding relationship he himself had with Elena.

The door to the house was open and Elijah stepped inside the house, finding his brother sitting inside the living room by the fire place. Stefan was sitting on the sofa opposite to Niklaus. The white oak stake was clearly in reach of Stefan and everything became clear to Elijah then. His brother not only intended to take Elena from him, he would use the Salvatore's to do it with the promise they would again have Elena to themselves if they helped kill him for Klaus. It surprised Elijah, even deeply hurt him to realize how far his brothers hatred of him extended.

"Hello Elijah," said Stefan first, eyeing the stake before him.

"Hello Stefan," Elijah replied carefully, watching the younger vampire. Stefan was always the more level-headed of the two Salvatore's, but he was also capable of complete recklessness when called for. If Stefan believed by killing him he would save Elena somehow, Elijah knew that Stefan wouldn't hesitate to take action against him. The younger vampire was still in love with Elena and did not approve of her new choice of romantic partner. "I see that you have downgraded your choice of companion." Referring to Stefan sitting at Klaus's side.

Stefan chuckled rather darkly at that, but did not move for the stake. The young vampire then hung his face in his hands and Elijah then realized he'd been taken in by his brother. This was no trap to kill him. This was a distraction.

"You did this brother," said Klaus, letting out a bark of dark laughter himself. Klaus stood up and faced him. "I will, by now, have the lovely Elena in my possession."

"What have you done now?" insisted Elijah, fighting disbelief at the depths his brother would go.

"Alaric apparently is quite useful for assistance if you promise him that one's vampire brother will stop seeing his ward. You see, although Elena is a vampire now, Alaric, in his new state, believes that Elena can be cured if she rids her life of all vampires. So, what of it, brother? Shall I execute you now, giving Elena an eternity of misery with your death, or keep you alive because you give me your word that you will never see _my doppelganger_ again?"

Stefan blinked, noticeably. Apparently he had been lied too somehow as well. Likely a false promise of getting Elena back, but Klaus clearly had something else in mind for him/

If Elijah refused Klaus his request, Elena and her family would be in great danger of Klaus. Perhaps, staying away would be best for now. Especially if it was true that Elena could have a chance to regain her mortality.

"Fine, Niklaus. You win! I will stay away from Elena." Elijah finally snapped, his voice hard with emotion.

And his fate was sealed. He would live without her. Elijah looked to Stefan, him too realizing the same thing about himself and Elena. Neither were going to have her.


	20. Chapter 20

"I was able to create the protection spell around the house," Bonnie told Alaric, coming down the stairs inside the Gilbert house. "It should help keep them out for awhile."

Elena listened from the living room and got up from the sofa. "Rick, you know that Stefan and Damon would never hurt me..."

"It's because you know them Elena _that you are a vampire_," snapped Rick back, making Elena jump. Bonnie looked at Alaric with concern but then nodded. "He is right, Elena. They've done nothing but destroy your life."

Bonnie then started to leave the house. "Bonnie, please. Alaric wants to _kill all of them_..." shouted Elena after her friend.

Bonnie never stopped exiting the house but replied lastly, "Good, that makes two of us..."

Elena tried leaving the house but the spell stopped her. "You'll see that I'm right Elena," Rick told her.

"Rick, it's just your ring that's doing this... you really like Stefan and Damon... and Elijah has never done anything..."

"It's not just the ring, Elena. Losing all the vampires from your life would be the best thing for you..."

"I _am a vampire_ Rick..."

"If you had never met any of them... you wouldn't be going through any of this..."

"Maybe not," Elena admitted softly. "But it still doesn't change anything..."

"But it can," insisted Rick angrily. "What if you could go back, Elena and change it all..."

Tears filled Elena's eyes. Perhaps life would have been more simple without vampires fighting to either kill her or control her somehow. "Maybe... Rick... I..."

The back door suddenly opened and Elena turned around to come face to face with Klaus. She jumped, startled. "I'm about to make your dreams come true, Elena," promised Klaus with a dark grin.

No. Elena suddenly thought, panicked. Even if she were compelled to forget vampires, she was still one of them. What happened to a vampire if they didn't know they even existed? Before Elena could ask the question, Klaus spoke. "You are going to forget everything you know about the vampires in Mystic Falls Elena. There are no Stefan or Damon Salvatore, or Caroline Forbes. You are going to live your life as if they never entered it. You will never remember the name of Elijah Mikaelson or anything about the original vampire family of Mystic Falls. You are never going to remember that you are a vampire Elena. You will live your life as if you are human. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Elena replied simply, softly.

"Goodbye little doppelganger," Klaus then smiled, taking the time to kiss her cheek before turning to leave the house.

"But what if she doesn't feed?' shouted Alaric after him.

No reply came from the hybrid original, silently leaving Elena to her new fate.

* * *

"_Elijah..."_

"_Rebekah, I have had enough for today... please don't start..."_

"_Nick... he did something to her... I heard Finn and him talking..."_

_Elijah froze, wanting to refuse to accept that Klaus had done anything to Elena after giving him his word that he'd do what he wanted, for now. He had promised Klaus that he would stay away from Elena. "What happened..." Elijah spoke finally, painfully, turning to face his sister._

"_He made her forget, Elijah... "_

"_Forget what sister?" Elijah insisted dangerously at Rebekah's hesitation. _

"_Nick made her forget everything... Elena doesn't remember anything about vampires..." _

"_What?" Elijah's voice spoke his emotions for him. Somewhere between betrayal and rage. "If she cannot remember... she'll die..." Elijah then whispered softly. "She won't feed..."_

"_Go to her then..." Rebekah then said as matter of fact. "Perhaps you can do something to save her..."_

_Elijah was gone before Rebekah could say anything else. _

* * *

"What do you think this is going to do to her?" asked Damon, watching Elena talk with her brother Jeremy in the kitchen of the Gilbert house.

Upon first glance, one wouldn't suspect that anything was wrong with Elena at all. She was laughing, having a good time with her brother while eating lunch.

"She's still a vampire... she's going to need blood to keep going..." said Stefan softly.

"How are we going to get her to have blood, if she doesn't know that she's one of you?" asked Alaric, observing Elena with sad eyes.

"Maybe we can get Elijah to compel away whatever Klaus did to her..." offered Damon.

"If we tell him what happened, he might just take her away from us to keep Klaus away from her," argued Stefan, watching Elena thoughtfully. "But if we can figure this out, maybe Elena can go on thinking she's human with our help."

"We can't hide something like that from her forever Stefan..." Damon spat. "Eventually she's going to notice somethings up when she starts to _decay from the lack of blood_..."

"But what if we slip some to her... put it in her food, what she drinks..."

"You're flipping out here Stefan," started Alaric. "I just put my ward on a path of self destruction because of this crazy Gilbert family ring and you really think we can make a vampire believe she's human..."

"Think about how happy Elena was, before all of this touched her life..." argued Stefan passionately. "If we can give that back to her... I can keep an eye on her during the day, Rick and Jeremy can help her at home..."

"You just want her this way because when she was human she was with you..." spat Damon darkly.

"If we tell her the truth Damon, we all risk losing her forever..." said Stefan in reply. "Do you want Elijah to just step in and take her from us... and besides, Elena didn't remember either of us. She doesn't remember any vampires at all... she thinks our family is a friend of Rick's and that's why we're here. If I wanted her back it wouldn't work any way."

Damon seemed to consider this. "What do you think Rick? You up to fooling a vampire into her humanity?"

"If it keeps Elijah out of the picture, I'm game..."


	21. Chapter 21

Elijah hadn't wanted to believe it was true, but it was. There was Elena, walking in the day light towards Mystic Falls high school, looking carefree and happy. Talking with her brother while reguarding Stefan most carefully.

She was commenting on how he always seemed to be around her and she didn't understand his interest in her. Stefan looked as if he was about to tell her something important, but her human friend Matt Donovan stole her attention away. Elena looked excited to see Matt and tossed herself into his arms.

Matt soon ushered her away with Elena thanking him. Apparently she did not appreciate Stefan always lurking near by. She felt smothered by him. Elena had confessed to Matt. Elijah wondered if pieces of what really caused the downfall of her relationship with Stefan were starting to surface for Elena despite her not remembering much of her past, thanks to the meddling of his own brother.

Stefan was a significant relationship for Elena, but she truly had come to terms with the relationship being over. Her feelings were still there for the Salvatore, but the relationship would never change back to what it was before. Perhaps, this new event, Elijah wouldn't have to be concerned about Elena having old feelings return with the loss of her memory. At least, not when it came to her former boyfriend it seemed. Or, that one in particular anyway.

Her bond with Matt Donovan still seemed to be there, but Elena seemed wary of how that relationship had changed as well. She walked with him at a casual distance once Stefan was no longer visible.

"She hates me," said Stefan, making Elijah smirk slightly.

"And you thought aiding my brother in his quest to have her live a lie would be a good thing to do, Stefan?" countered Elijah swiftly, while adjusting his tie that matched his blue shirt. He hadn't tried to hide from Stefan while he openly studied Elena, so Stefan's appearance was no surprise to him. "She doesn't hate you, Stefan. Elena no longer remembers your prior connection, there for cannot understand why you would suddenly appear in her life, always lurking around her. If you want her trust, you need to be honest with her."

"If I tell her the truth, she'll never get this back. Elena misses being human, surely you can see that."

"Yes, Stefan," scoffed the elder vampire. "Of course I can see that. But the Elena I knew a few days ago had adjusted to being what she is now. She had accepted it. Now you wish to strip all of that away from her by her living a lie that will only come to seriously harm her."

"You don't know that, it could work."

"I'll not allow you and Damon to play these games with her, Stefan. You believe that somehow this will make her love for you return, but it won't. Elena will never love either of you the same way again, because Stefan, you have worked so carefully to push her away from you until she finally decided to take the hint and fall in love with someone else. That was nearly your brother Damon, but even he expected too much of her. He wanted her to completely forget she ever picked you to begin with. He could never erase her past with you and that's why Damon never got a chance with her. His own jealousy cost him_ that chance_. Elena, now, loves me and this game, Stefan, is over. No matter if she decides to accept what I will tell her or not."

Elijah moved to leave the school yard. "She doesn't remember you either, Elijah. You could tell her everything and she still might decide not to believe you. What then?"

"Then at least it will be her choice, and hers alone. Either way, I will help her, Stefan," countered Elijah dangerously before finally leaving the field.


	22. Chapter 22

"Jer, I'm not feeling so good," said Elena suddenly while following her brother inside of their family house. Elena held her stomach and was looking pale.

Jeremy hesitated but moved for a drawer inside the hallway nearest to the kitchen. He pulled out a small ring with blue colouring and forced it onto Elena's finger on her right hand. "I told them it was a bad idea to do this," Jeremy said aloud with annoyance. "Never take this off, Elena. Especially if it's day light outside..." Jeremy then told her seriously.

"What?" Elena said, laughing now. She then looked at the ring. "Looks pretty...but real old... where did you get it..."

"Lets just say you know some real old guys that like to give you things..."

"What? Jeremy, that isn't even funny..." Elena said half seriously now.

"You got it from a really old vampire, alright?" Jeremy then argued, impatience getting the better of him now. "You're a vampire, Elena, and you really can't take this ring off..."

"I'm a what... Jeremy, they don't exist... stop trying to be funny, because you aren't..."

"Look, you are feeling better now, aren't you..." argued Jeremy back. "It's the ring. It has... healing properties... I got it from Bonnie and she says you should really wear this..."

"Oh," Elena now seemed interested in the ring. "Okay Jer. I won't take it off." Elena then quipped before heading into the kitchen as if everything was suddenly fine.

Jeremy sighed. One victory won. His vampire sister just didn't believe in vampires and she was a vampire was all that was still wrong now. Now only if he could get her into drinking blood.

There was a knock at the front door. Alaric wasn't home yet from school, so Jeremy answered it. He was surprised to see Elijah, but only mildly so. "Well, come on in, but only if you're not into tricking my sister with this vampire thing. She already started not feeling well today after walking home in the sun. I finally got her to wear her day light ring but she doesn't believe in vampires still so you got your work cut out for you."

Elijah stepped inside the house, smiling at Jeremy's long speech. "Why, mister Gilbert, you have made this so much easier... where is Elena..."

"Wait..." started Jeremy as Elijah looked up the stairs. "You're just not going to pop in on her and announce she's some undead vampire and you're her sire are you? I mean, she already has Stefan lurking creepily about her, another guy, especially an older looking guy starting to do the same thing is really going to freak my sister out..."

"_Freak her out_..." Elijah smirked, enjoying Jeremy's interesting way of communicating with banter.

"I mean, I know you _know each other and stuff,_ but you really don't now because Elena doesn't know anything about vampires. You say anything to her and it goes in one ear and out the other. I mean, you're welcome to help her and everything, but telling her the truth exactly might not be the way to go."

"I will just have to _wing it_ then, mister Gilbert," replied Elijah for the teenager before using vampire speed to go up the stairs to find Elena.

"Oh yeah, like that won't freak her out or anything," quipped Jeremy sarcastically at Elijah's choosing to use vampire speed to approach his sister.

* * *

Elena was reading over the pages of her diary, wondering who had placed these entries inside. There were so many mentions about Stefan Salvatore and his brother Damon. Stefan was her boyfriend in so many entries, which didn't make any sense at all.

She just met him _last week_! And then there was Damon, and in her own hand writing saying so many things... she even believed she had _feelings_ for him at one point! What the heck was going on? What was all of this? Damon looked old enough to be in college... how could she write these things?

Elena turned from her bay window while poring over these pages and let out a scream. There was a man standing inside her bedroom doorway, someone she had never seen before in her life. He was very well dressed and looked as if he'd stepped off the pages of a clothing magazine. Also, he was magnificently easy on the eyes. She swallowed, nervously so, when he didn't seem to be making a move from his place inside her doorway. Was he yet another strange new friend of Alaric's? "Who are you?" She insisted, her voice sounding dry.

He continued to openly stare at her and instead of feeling afraid, Elena found herself feeling intrigued. It was as if she'd seen him before, but she couldn't say exactly where. He stepped closer, most casually, firmly grasping the sides of her face before slowly lowering his lips to hers. Shocked and wanting to know what he was going to do next, Elena couldn't move.

He released her soon, too soon, and stepped back slightly while holding her waist with his hands. "I missed you," He told her softly, his tone displaying great intensity.

"What..." Elena began, trying to find her voice, but finding it difficult to do so. "What... what is this..."

"What is what, _dear Elena_..." He replied teasingly, enjoying the shocked looked that seemed to be frozen upon Elena's face. Elijah had considered trying to be delicate with her, to break the truth slowly, but he could not resist his feelings for her and did not want too. He was not going to play Klaus's games, not where Elena was concerned.

"I would love to know who you are..." started Elena, trying not to laugh at all of this.

Elijah then gathered her hands into his. "You know who I am, _Elena_... You know _what_ I am and what _you are_, more importantly... We are _together _and there are those who have been playing games with you..._my love_... _my beautiful vampire_..."

"What..."

"You _do_ say that a lot, Elena..." Elijah countered, closing the space between them and holding her to his chest. "You feel something for me... something _very_ strong... not even being told to forget what you really are has stopped those feelings from _happening_..."

She started to pull away but he wouldn't let her go. "Do you trust me..." He then continued, surprising her.

"_Trust you_..." Elena seemed floored by the liberties he was taking with her and that she was letting him do so. "I don't even know you... _how_ can I..."

Elijah pulled her closer still, looking into her eyes. "Remember me,_ Elena,_" He whispered, gently compelling her with his voice. "_It's all I ask_..."

Elena seemed to freeze, entranced by his voice. Elijah could not out right undo what Klaus had done, but he could break into the walls that Elena had constructed because of that manipulation. It would be up to Elena if she would remember everything or _just him_.

"_Elijah_..." She soon whispered, cupping his face with her hands. "What has happened... why do I feel so_ badly_..." Elena then fell against him slightly.

"Do you trust me?" He repeated softly, holding her up with his arms.

"Always..." She promised.

"Then I believe it's time we leave Mystic Falls for awhile, _my love_."

Elena's bedroom was soon vacant, some items missing. Jeremy broke the news to Alaric that Elena had appeared to have left the house with Elijah, and he had no idea where they had gone too, or when or if they'd return.

Stefan guessed that Elena likely remembered something which encouraged Elijah to make the decision to take her. In was some months later that news of the originals resurfacing in New Orleans pegged Stefan and Damon's interest. Klaus was still in Mystic Falls, occupied with Caroline. So they decided to spend the summer searching for Elena and Elijah.

"So you think Elijah is really living it up in New Orleans? Why would he go there of all places?" asked Damon, scoffing in annoyance.

"It's one of the last places we'd expect him to take Elena... I really don't know, but I want to find out. We can't just leave her there... not without knowing the truth..."

"What if she did pick him..." asked Damon softly after a long silence. He opened his car door.

"Then she did..." replied Stefan. "But at least we'll know that she's alright."

Stefan stopped to get inside Damon's car.

"I always thought it would be me or you... not ... _him_." Damon said accusingly.

Stefan chuckled painfully so. "You wanted it to be you and _only you, Damon_, and _you know it_... "

"Yeah, I did. And she nearly did _pick me_ until _Elijah_ got in the way..."

"She loves him, Damon. Don't go with me if you think somehow you going is going to change her feelings for him. Elena will hate you if you get in the way..."

"Isn't that why _you're_ going brother?" countered Damon hotly.

"I just want to see if... she remembers _how she felt_. We had something good, and I should have never let her go. I ruined everything by letting her go. I just want to know if... the Elena who was with me, is still alive in there somewhere. I know that I can't believe that I'll ever get her back, but I will always love her, Damon. I need to know that she's going to be alright."

Damon smirked at that, but had to respect Stefan's reasons for finding Elena. They were unselfish, as always, when compared to his own.

"I just want her back," Damon confessed softly. "I want things to be as they used to be. When she was here, _with us._"

"Damon, we don't know if she'll ever want to come home again. We have to accept the possibility that she might want to stay with _Elijah_. We're just letting her know that she has a choice."

"He never gave her _a choice,_ Stefan. I know it. That's why we've got to get her back."

"Lets go then," agreed Stefan. The younger Salvatore still had to wonder if they were doing the right thing.


	23. Chapter 23

It had taken several attempts to get Elena back onto a steady diet of blood. Elijah had to settle for compelling her into consuming it, since Elena still slipped away from the fact of what she really was. Happy to believe that she was still human, Elijah accepted this without pushing her too far.

There had been times that she had been ready to believe the truth and there were times she had actually managed to remember the information she had retained from him, but she would continuously forget that she was a vampire.

Elena remembered him though and that they were together, for whatever that actually meant for her. He had not pushed for any changes to their relationship other than what they had managed to settle into here in New Orleans. A very comfortable companionship, and Elena seemed to be content in his presence, but at times not quite understanding why he was with her, or why he was happy with a life of looking after her.

It was frustrating at times to know that pieces of the relationship they had managed to make before Klaus's manipulations might forever be stripped away from Elena's memory, and that Elena may never be ready for that kind of relationship again with him. But Elijah still felt the same for her, and there for would always be there for her. Either as a friend, teacher, or more. Whatever Elena so choose for them to be to each other, he would accept it if it meant that they would be together. Elijah knew that he could not bare to lose her from his life, even if she decided that they would never be lovers again.

In the few months they had lived in New Orleans, they had managed to stay low to the locals. One of Klaus's protege's ruled the local neighbourhood, and Elijah had no reason to interfere with him, and risk word getting back to his brother where he had settled with Elena. No. It wasn't time for something like that. If Marcel stayed out of his business, Elijah would remain at a distance from him in return.

It was five months since they had first settled in New Orleans that Elijah first realized that they were being watched from the narrow street across from the bar they were seated outside at. Elena was merrily digging into a chicken gumbo dish while telling him how amazing the street music was from the parade down the street. Before Elijah could catch sight of who was daring to spy on him with Elena, Elena did something surprising, catching him completely off guard.

She had reached for his hand, catching it within her own and pulling it almost sacredly to her chest. "Elijah," She started softly, staring at him with her doe eyes. "I know that this hasn't been easy... none of this. Especially when I can't seem to remember things about... us. But...I wanted you to know how much I appreciate this, our time here... you've saved me. I know that's crazy to say, but I feel like you've saved me from myself. I will always love you for that."

The word, he hadn't heard it from her lips in so long, and once so briefly, scarcely used before it could take on greater meaning. Before their relationship even had the chance to really grow. And Elena was using it as not what she had meant before all of this, but as a goodbye. He couldn't bare to lose her. He loved her too much, too fiercely. Already his chest wanted to explode from pain of her loss. She was with him these last few months, but not as before. This Elena, one half lost to herself, wasn't in love with him. No matter how much they had bonded these last few months.

This Elena was an eighteen year old girl who had finally decided she wanted to go home to her family. She cared about him, he knew. Deeply, utterly passionately so. But she could not understand her feelings for him without remembering what she was.

If she returned home, would he eventually lose her to Stefan or Damon? They had known her the longest. Perhaps they would succeed where he had failed with her.

"Hey," She started, seeing the obvious distress in his eyes. He was in love with a girl that couldn't remember her love for him. How cruel could fate really be? "So this is over..." Elijah spoke before she could, his voice breaking slightly. "I was wrong to hold you to this farce Elena..." He continued softly, brokenheartedly so.

"Elijah..." Elena began again, clutching his hand tightly when he tried to pull away from hers. She seemed surprised that she seemed so strong. Ironically. Even something so simple broke his heart into pieces over this girl. He was going to miss everything about her to where it consumed him. "I ... I care about you, I know that I do, but I can't keep trying to remember these things... these really insane things about me, _about you_... I don't know how to do this..."

"What life is there for you back in _Mystic Falls Elena_?" He countered suddenly, hotly. His voice touching a very old accent, one that only became pronounced usually when he was upset. Elijah knew it was not Elena's fault, but knowing that she wished to give up and leave him broke him in a way that he had not seen coming. "_Your brother is better off _without you, you have said this yourself. Alaric has been able to finally accept the death of your aunt and has started moving on with his life. You told me a week ago _how happy_ that made you feel knowing that your family was doing alright without you there. Stefan is your _old boyfriend_ and fully expects to retain that _former_ place with you by making you fall in love with him again, while his brother will forever fight him for your affections, _even if _it goes against _your happiness._ You told me that with me, you finally felt free, _from all of that, Elena._ So if you want to run strait back to a life where everyone holds their expectations above yours, go right ahead. I will have someone gather your things and return you to _Mystic Falls_ by _tomorrow night_."

Elijah then finally broke away forcefully from her, causing Elena to hold her arm from the force of him pulling away so abruptly. Tears began to sting her eyes as she watched him leave her in the middle of the square. Something made her want to go after him and deny everything, and confess that despite all the confusion welling inside of her, Elena could feel how deeply her love ran for him. But how could she honestly tell Elijah she was in love with him when she couldn't at times remember anything at all about their relationship or who or what they were to each other?

Elijah deserved better then that from her. He deserved to be with someone who could love him and always remember it. It's what Elena wanted most for him, so painfully, she let Elijah go.

Stefan stood across the street, watching his former love cry with an unexpected sadness of his own. His heart broke for her and especially for himself. He knew it, finally. Elena would be alright without him, but not right now. Right now she grieved for a love that half the time she couldn't even remember. At least he could remember how they felt once for each other. Elena didn't even have that to comfort her about losing Elijah. She just had the emptiness of the loss itself. What a terrible way that would be to live.

* * *

Elena had returned to Mystic Falls, but not without trying to find Elijah again. She wanted him to understand why she was choosing to go home. It wasn't because she wasn't in love with him. It was because she did in fact feel that much, that strongly for him. He deserved more than being a nurse maid for her. He should be with someone who could remember everything about herself, and not need constant help or reassurance when she forgot the things he told her about herself.

She needed to drink blood. He told her this, so she did. It made her feel so much better. But when she forgot why she needed the blood, Elena had the habit of stopping until she remembered again. The sun burned her now if she went outside without the ring he'd given her. So it was easy to remember that she needed the ring. At first she could go outside without the ring, when she believed she'd been human and normal.

Returning to school hadn't been easy. Stefan was still always there. Elena felt curious by his interest in her and his stories about this girl he loved once. But Elena sensed that Stefan was grieving for that girl he had lost. Elena ended up feeling very sorry for Stefan and that she couldn't really do anything to ease his pain. If anything, she seemed to make that pain worse for him somehow. It took weeks for her to realize that she was the one he was so miserable for. It made Elena believe that maybe it had been for the best that they never seemed to find their way back to each other again. Elena, however, accepted Stefan's friendship gladly.

The attentions of Damon had turned her head. Elena had to admit it. But Damon, despite his feelings for her, was in love with the girl she could hardly remember being. Elena backed away from Damon before he got any ideas about them being more than friends. She accepted his friendship though gladly too. The support of Stefan and Damon was like having a mirror to who she was supposed to be. They helped her with the "vampire" things when she couldn't remember. Which had become daily now.

After fighting hunger for too long, she had nearly killed Alaric, the vampire fighting for control over the compulsion of Klaus within her. This had been Elena's breaking point.

The realization she had been better off with Elijah rather than at home. With Elijah she hadn't tried to kill anyone. He helped her have some sort of control, even when she couldn't remember why she needed that control. He was her balance to a very crumbling life. And she had pushed him away. Unforgivably so.

Feeling lost and utterly spent with life itself, Elena found herself standing on wickery bridge by dawn. She watched the sun rise and decided that this was it. Her chance to finally take back the life that was hers.

At peace, she removed the ring and watched it fall into the water below. Her love, her feelings, everything with it. Finally, she could be free.

A shadow crossed her path as she began to burn and Elena could see that her plan for peace was for nothing. Because he would never allow her to have it. The shadow came closer and smothered and smothered.

Somewhere in New Orleans two witches spoke of the unexpected death of the vampire Marcel. Killed by the Original vampire Elijah when he felt the duel sire bond of his and a protege's suddenly break. Elijah, known to be rarely emotional, had frightened many into a blinding terror when after a scream of sudden agony, broke the vampire Marcel in half with one brutal shove and show of powerful strength.

None were surprised to hear that the source of Elijah's break down had been a woman. And none couldn't say they were disappointed to hear that he would be returning to Mystic Falls in search of answers to what was presumed to be her death at the hands of his brother Klaus. The local witch, Jane Anne, could only have pity for the creature that was Klaus after witnessing the death of Marcel. Bits of the vampire that had haunted the quarter for over one hundred years were still being found. Or so people said.

**THE END**

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I may write a follow up eventually after a brief break. - Sarah.


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